Worth It and Then Some
by Lovergyul
Summary: Three weeks to Leah's due date and she's missing. Imprint bonds still exists, new loves arrive, and loyalties are tested. Who took Leah and Why? Will she be found in time? Sequel to Want and Need You. Must read first.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: WOW! I know it's been a couple months, but I really needed the break. Alot of things happened in my life, including two deaths on my maternal side of the family. Everything is almost settled and in the midst of all the drama and heartache, I found myself writing the first chapter of this sequel. It actually helped take my mind off of things for a bit. Here's the first chapter to the sequel you've all been waiting for. I hope it's worth the wait. Thank you all for recommending my fics because I'm still getting reviews and alerts up to this date. It blows my mind to see how many people love this story. I must warn you though that this chapter is full of angst. Enjoy!**

**Previous Chapter**

_Everyone laughed and agreed as they reached the last step on the Clearwater walkway and Jake pulled open the door. He was hit the with scent of blood and the house was completely silent. The loveseat was turned over and torn. Books and DVDs littered the floor from the overturned TV center. Pots and pans have been knocked astray on the floor and plates and glasses were broken everywhere. Jake was appalled. "Oh My God!"_

_Seth walked up behind him. "Jake, what's the…" He froze. "What the hell?"_

_The place was awful and it looked like a struggle went on in there. The others came up behind them and gasped in shock. _

"_Leah!" Jake ran inside and looked for her calling out her name. The scent of the blood had him on edge and the alpha in him was already fighting to come out. _

_Seth ran inside as well, looking for his sister. _

_Jake's insides were quivering and his heart was beating so hard and fast. He could feel his blood pounding all over his body. 'No, No, No! Leah has got be here somewhere.' "Leah! Answer me baby! Please!" He checked all over the house again and then crumbled to his feet when the obvious was registered in his head. Leah was gone._

Jake rose to his feet, his heart pounding, blood rushing to his head. He ran all over the house again searching for the love of his life.

Jared shook his head and started jogging through the house too, out through the back door and into the yard. "Leah!"

There was no answer. Beside him, Sam noticed the bloody, smudged handprint of someone who looked like they were clinging to the doornob. "Guys!"

They all turned to look at him, save for Jake who was upstairs searching through all the closets. "Look at this." Sam gestured to the doornob. "Leah was taken; look at this blood. It's hers for sure; I would know her scent anywhere. She was clinging to this."

Seth growled. "What? No! Leah can't be taken! Who the fuck would do this?"

Meanwhile, Jake's head felt like it was going to explode. His connection to his mate was still there, but faint. He was still calling out for her. 'Leah has got to be alright; she's here somewhere. She has to be.' He was in denial and the others could see it, but Jake paid them no mind. Without a word, he ran out the door, into the woods, and phased to search for Leah.

"I'm going to search with Jake." Seth said as he ran out the door and into the woods.

"Okay, okay. Look, we've got to think before we jump to abduction plans. Where would Leah go herself?" Paul asked while trying to stay calm. He did not want to go crazy with worry yet.

Embry shook his head and spoke quietly. "I agree with Sam; someone took her. Look at this place; it's a mess. Do you really think Leah would leave here on her own like this?"

"Not only that, we cleaned up before we left and she promised Jake she would get some rest." Sam added.

"I don't know, but this doesn't make any sense!" Quil shouted.

Jared walked back inside, shaking his head. "She's gone…There's no scent…Nothing. It's like she fucking up and vanished into thin air!"

"Jake will lose it if we don't find her, guys." Embry pointed out.

"Seth too. He will go insane." Quil announced.

"God…The fucking baby…What if she's at the Cullens? What is she went into early labor or some shit!" Paul nearly shouted in a panic.

"No…Carlisle or Rosalie would've called us by now. They would never let Leah go through that alone." Jared answered.

"Enough of this standing around here talking! Let's go search for her with Jake and Seth." Embry said firmly. "We'll come back and clean up."

Everyone nodded and raced out the door after their alpha and youngest packmate. Jake and Seth felt the others phase.

'Any luck?' Embry asked.

Seth answered while Jake stayed quiet. 'Nothing.'

'Jake…Leah's blood is on the doornob in the house.' Jared said.

Jake tensed. 'What?'

'It looks like she grabbed it…It's like a handprint.' Paul added.

'Fuck!' Jake growled fiercely. 'Well we know for a fact something happened to her. Why would she be bleeding? Where the hell is she?' He picked up his pace. 'We need to find her; she's due soon.' Inside, Jake was panicking and felt fucked up. He knew he shouldn't have left her; he should've stayed. 'DAMMIT!'

'We'll find her Jake; it's going to be okay. I promise.' Quil rubbed his alpha in comfort. He missed his sister too and was eager to find her.

'Leah is fine; I know it. For a pregnant woman, my sister is strong. My sister is fine!' Seth's voice was intense and his growl fierce. He stomped ahead of the pack. His behavior has been odd lately and it did not go unnoticed by the pack, though it was Leah who pointed it out at first. Lately, Seth's been very aggressive and so different from the carefree young man he was known to be.

'Lee is strong; she has to be somewhere. She probably went for a walk or something.' Embry said, hoping he was right. Leah was his best friend and he would be devastated if something bad happened to her. Although it was quite obvious something did, but he still had hope.

'And left the house in ruins behind her? I don't think so.' Paul replied.

'I'm trying not to think the worst here, but let's be real.' Sam did not want to burst anyone's bubble, but they were going to have to face it sooner or later.

Jakem knowing where his thoughts were going, whirled on him and growled. 'Don't say it!'

'Jacob I know this is hard, but-' Sam started but was cut off.

Jake growled menacingly. 'I said _don't_ say it!'

Sam flinched and stayed quiet, noticing the alpha appearance.

Quil walked up toward his alpha and nuzzled his side. 'Jake…Please try and calm down. We'll find her.'

'How can you expect me to calm down Quil? My mate and unborn child are missing. The house is a fucking mess! I knew I shouldn't have left; I did not want to. Something told me not to, but I did. _How the fuck do you expect me to calm down?_'

Quil stepped back a step, whimpering softly. 'I know you're scared…We all are, but we've got to keep our heads in the game alright?'

'Easy for you to say. My sister and unborn son are missing and can be hurt somewhere! God…If something happened to my sister…' Seth trailed off with a growl. Leah was the only family he had left and if he ever lost her, he would not be the same again.

'Let's just try to stay calm; fighting among ourselves won't get us anywhere.' Embry advised.

Seth said nothing, feeling like if he did, he would snap at any moment. He was already on edge before they left the house. He chose to keep quiet instead of ripping someone's head off and focused on finding his sister.

Paul chose that time to voice his thoughts. 'God, what if who took her is hurting her somewhere?'

'Stop it!' Jake growled, not wanting to hear anything of the sort.

Seth turned to Paul and growled, his eyes glowing. 'Don't you dare start with that bullshit!' Seth wanted to pounce; he found himself not able to stand Paul all that much.

'Seth…Calm down.' Embry rubbed his side; he could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves and Paul was pushing it.

Paul looked down. 'I'm sorry.'

The guys kept on searching and three hours later, Jared paused. 'Guys, she's not out there; I can't smell her…Not a trace.'

'She's got to be here somewhere; she has to be.' Jake's voice was strong. He refused to believe he would be going back home without his girl. The alpha in him was on high alert and calling out for it's mate and pup.

Sam was worried about what Jake and Seth would do when they would come to the realization that Leah was gone. He really wanted to say it, but chose not to. He wanted to give them the satisfaction of looking as much as they could.

'Come on…Let's head more south and check by the cliffs. Leah loves it there.' Seth summoned while running ahead with Jake close behind him.

The pack nodded, too scared to disagree with Seth. They needed to find her. They arrived at the cliffs, sniffing around and searching, but found nothing. No trace of a scent, no piece of clothing, not even a strand of Leah's hair.

Jake lifted a paw and stomped it hard on the ground in frustration, causing a slight tremor. His heart was pounding even harder and he refused to acknowledge the possibility of Leah being gone…Not yet. He turned around and headed back into the woods again to search some more.

An idea popped in Jared's head. 'We should ask the Cullens. What do you guys think?'

'We need all the help we can get.' Quil agreed.

Jake only grunted and ran faster in the direction of the Cullens. He was the first in line followed by Seth.

Hearing the thumping of their paws on the ground, Edward opened the door quickly. His gazed focused intensely on Jacob as he phased out and marched toward the front door in all his naked glory without a care in the world. Edward sensed the power emanating from that body and one look at Jacob's eyes confirmed that the alpha in him was out.

"Leah's gone?" Edward asked.

"_Yes…Gone without a trace. We left this morning to patrol and came back to her home in shambles. My mate and unborn pup were nowhere to be found_. _Have any of you seen her?_" Jake's body was straight and rigid. He was trying to keep it together, to be strong, but it was hard.

If Jacob was a stranger, Edward would've gulped and even be a little scared, but he knew Jacob would not hurt him. "No…I haven't seen her." He turned to his vampiric family. They were all in the living room on edge ever since they heard the thunderous pounding of the pack's paws on the ground, coming toward their home. Surprisingly, Bella was amongst them. "Leah has disappeared. Have any of you seen her?"

They all shook their heads. Bella managed to suppress a gasp. She has never seen Jacob in alpha mode and fully naked too, but what struck her the most were his eyes. She could see the pain behind them and even though they were not on speaking terms, she still cared about him. She was snapped out of her reverie by her sister-n-law's voice.

"What? Leah's gone?" Rosalie stood up so fast and stomped toward them. "Where did you guys look?" Her best friend was missing and also her unborn Godson.

"_We checked her favorite places in the woods…Like the cliffs. We found nothing…Not even a scent_." The alpha answered, though it was hard to say. "_If any of you hear or see anything_…" Jacob growled, the alpha stubborn in asking the cold ones for help, but because it was his mate, he relented and asked. "_We need your assistance. My mate is due soon; you know that. I need to find her and my unborn pup_."

Edward reluctantly, but carefully took Jacob's hand in between both of his own cold ones. "Absolutely. Shall we depart to look some more? Right this moment?"

"_Yes_." Without another word, Jacob turned around without a backwards glance, walked down the stairs, phased, and ran back into the woods. The pack was right behind him followed by the Cullens.

'_The Cullens are going to assist us in our search. We are going to split up. Edward_?' Jacob called.

"Sounds like a good idea. We will take the western perimeter." Edward said and him and his family went on their way.

'_Good. We'll take the east and meet back here._' Jake confirmed and went on his way.

Hours later, just past three a.m. both parties had no luck. The alpha retreated and Jake was back.

'Jake…It's past three…She's not out here.' Jared said softly. He was beyond tired.

'No dammit!' Jake shook his head wolfishly.

'Let's go back to the house; maybe she's there.' Embry said pointing his head in the direction of the Clearwater home.

Seth did not want to go home either, but maybe his sister came home. He had a little hope that she would be there. He was edgy as hell and was trying to stay calm. He turned to face Jake. He was the only one Jake would listen to without snapping. 'I know how you feel; I don't want to go home either. But let's check. We've searched everywhere out here. Maybe she's home.'

Jake only nodded in response and took off in the direction of the house at full speed.

'Edward, we'll check in with you guys later.' Quil as second in command confirmed and he too took off with the others behind him.

Edward nodded. "We'll keep searching out here tonight and will let you know if we find anything."

Paul nodded and took off while the Cullens went in the opposite direction.

Jake and the guys came home to an empty, silent mess. Jake did not care it was late; he shouted for his girl. "Leah! Lee!" He headed to the bedroom. "Baby!" His voice sounded firm, but it was cracking little by little. "Baby answer me! Please!"

Seth was shouting for his sister too. To hell with the damn time. He was becoming edgier by the second. "Lee! Sis!"

Quil hated to break it to them, but he had to. "Leah's not here."

"This is fucking impossible! We were only gone for a few hours! How could no one have not seen or heard anything!" Paul was exasperated.

Jared growled and pulled out his phone. "I'm texting Mallory, see if she knows where Leah is."

"I'm calling Caitlyn." Embry said as he pulled out his phone as well.

"I'll call Felicia." Sam went straight to the telephone.

"Maybe Kyle knows something. I'll call him too." Quil pulled out his phone.

Couple minutes later, they met up in the living room.

"Any word?" Paul asked.

"Nothing. Felicia hasn't seen Leah since last week." Sam confirmed.

"Neither has Mallory." Jared added.

"Caitlyn hasn't seen her either." Embry said. They all turned to Quil, hoping Kyle spoke to her.

"I'm sorry guys, but not even Kyle has spoken to Leah recently." Quil said sadly.

Jake was still calling out Leah's name, hoping for a reply. "Lee! Baby!"

Jared put a hand on his alpha's shoulder. "Jake…She's not here."

Jake shrugged Jared's hand off his shoulder. "Leah where are you? Talk to me!" His voice was pleading.

Seth was quietly seething and going nuts inside. He couldn't flip out yet. He had to be strong for Jake.

Paul looked at his alpha sadly. "Jake…"

Jake's heart was breaking and his body started to shake. His heart felt like it would shatter into a million pieces. "Leah!" His voice was now a whisper and he stopped in his place. He looked around the living room and looked at the carnage, the mess, and the blood on the doornob. It hit him then that someone really _took_ his Leah. His eyes started to water and he went outside to search in the yard. Maybe she fell somewhere outside. He refused to acknowledge her disappearance as of yet.

"Somebody's got to make him calm down." Paul said to Jake's retreating back.

Seth banged his fist on the counter, nearly splitting it in half. "Leah's got to be here somewhere. She couldn't have gotten far…Not in her condition!"

"Seth…She didn't leave on her own." Jared informed.

"Someone grabbed her, but knowing Leah, she must've put up a fight. However, she wouldn't have been able to fight them off." Sam said, his voice fierce. Inside, he was terrified.

"Who the hell would take my sister? Leah was always with us. Even when she visited her cousins and friends in Makah, she always had one of us with her. I can't stand the thought of her being out there alone. She's fucking pregnant and due soon. What the _fuck_ would they want with a pregnant woman?" Seth shouted with a growl. His eyes were so bright, glittering with unshed tears. His sister was God knows where and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. But he'll be damned if he did not find her.

Quil perked up, his eyes wide. "We were warned. What if whoever took Leah wanted the baby?"

Seth shook his head and almost paled at the question. "No…I don't even want to think about that. We left her alone and vulnerable and dammit we made a mistake. We _never_ should've left her! Fuck!" He banged the counter again and this time it split in half. He was growling and breathing hard.

Jake was still outside roaming and searching; he couldn't bring it to himself to think his girl was taken and gone.

Quil put his hands on Seth's shoulders and gave him a calming little shake. "It's going to be okay; we're going to find her. I _promise_ Seth."

Embry sighed deeply and went out to get Jake. "Jake come on it's late. We'll look more tomorrow."

Jake's heart was beating so hard, that he felt like it would give out at any moment. If he did not see Leah before daylight, he did not know what he would do. "I can't Embry. I can't go inside and she's not there. I won't." His voice was sad, low. The alpha in him was calling out for his mate and unborn pup.

Seth growled, his aggression was apparent and he needed to let it out. He shrugged Quil's hands off his shoulders before he did something he would regret. "Quil, we've got to find her. She's pregnant and helpless and all alone." His voice was so deep, it was almost unrecognizable.

"Jake…I want her back too, but we've got to stay strong and get her back together." Embry said in comfort.

"It's my fault she's gone, Em. I didn't want to leave her this morning and I did." Jake gasped, the pain was so overwhelming. "I can feel her, but it's not as strong. Something's wrong Embry! We need to go and search again!" His wolf was whimpering in pain, howling and thrashing wildly at the thought of it's missing mate and unborn pup in danger.

"Mark my words…" Seth started with a growl. "When I find the people responsible for this, they are going to be sorry they were _ever_ fucking born." He took up an axe that belonged to his father, went out into the yard by the area where his dad used to chop wood, found the biggest and thickest wood he could find, and went right to chopping.

"What if we could make her be here?" Jared said.

"What do you mean? Don't play games with me Jared." Jake said as he rushed inside at his words.

"One second." Jared raced upstairs to Leah's bedroom, and thinking of Jake and the things Leah mindlessly mentioned to him before, he pulled out a CD from her desk. He raced back downstairs, popped it in the stereo system and pushed play. Leah's beautiful voice filtered around the house.

Jake stiffened at the sound of Leah's voice. He knew Jared was only trying to help, but it just reminded him that she was not there. He didn't want to hear her voice through stereo. He wanted to hear her directly. He put his hands to his ears. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" He shouted in agony.

Jared stopped the stereo. "Jake…We're going to find her…Please just try to relax!"

"That's easy for you to say. My pregnant girl is out there somewhere and could be hurt. How the fuck do you expect me to just relax? You have got to be fucking kidding me!" He felt like he would just burst from his angst, anger, frustration, guilt, and sadness. "Leah's my life! If something happened to her or my son, I won't be able to live with myself. It's all my fault. If only I stayed when my mind told me to. She would be here in my arms, safe and sound." His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with so much agony.

"This will never be your fault Jake." Embry said.

Jake looked up and then went upstairs to Leah's bedroom, the bedroom they shared for months. He felt like it was theirs, his and Leah's. He went straight to the source where her scent was strongest…The bed. He laid down on the bed and clutched a pillow close to his chest and breathed it in deeply.

The guys all watched Jake worriedly. First Seth and now Jake. Seth was still outside chopping. The impact of the axe as it hit the wood was so loud that it echoed throughout the area.

Sam spoke up for the first time in a while with a soft voice. "I think its best if we leave Jake and Seth alone for a while. Let's just clean up and see if we find anything that would give us an idea of where Leah is."

Everyone reluctantly nodded and they began to clean up and piece the house back together. Paul lifted up the bookcase and started fitting novels and movies back in.

"See if you guys pick up any scent; we might find something even is its faint." Sam was sweeping up the broken glass. Embry and Quil were helping Paul pick up the scattered books and movies.

Jared stared out the window at Seth as he cleaned up the kitchen. They _needed_ to find Leah and _fast_.

Jake was remembering his and Leah's moments before he left to patrol. He remembered her laugh, her smell, her moans, her body, her everything. He was standing by the window, clutching the pillow and holding it close. "Baby…Where could you be? Please God…Please let her be alright." He was so scared and his wolf was worse. It wouldn't stop it's howling.

Sam was worried too and he wanted to scream and holler, but he knew he couldn't lose it. Jake and Seth were already on the verge of losing it and he did not want to join that club. He needed to be strong for them. They needed him now more than ever.

Jared finished up in the kitchen and walked into the living room. He put the CD on again, but very low this time, just enough so those downstairs could hear it.

Sam stiffened. "Jared…Did you have to?"

"Yeah…Hearing her voice helps me deal just a little." It made Jared feel like even if Leah was gone forever, there was apart of her that was there.

Embry also went rigid as his best friend's voice washed over him and his mind flashed back to their last encounter in the kitchen. Tears almost came to his eyes, but he blinked them back. His best friend and Godson were out there and hurt. "Jared…I understand why you're doing it, but I can't take that right now. Please…Turn it off." He pleaded.

Jared looked down softly and shut off the music.

"Thank you." Embry said and headed upstairs to check on Jake.

"I don't care how long it takes, but I know we'll find her, Sam." Jared said to his best friend. He knew Sam was trying to be strong, but he loved Leah dearly too.

"Yes we are. Leah put up a fight and I'm just worried about where her blood came from. God I hope she did not go into early labor." Sam sighed deeply.

"Maybe she just cut her hand." Paul piped up.

Seth was still chopping wood. When one chunk was obliterated, he worked on another one. 'Dammit! Dammit all to hell! Why Leah? Why? She has never done anything to anyone. Hasn't she been through enough? What is so wrong with my sister that bad things keep happening to her? Fuck! Those fuckers will pay!' He chipped the wood even harder, the sound vibrating even more.

Paul gritted his teeth. "I've got to stop him before he hurts himself." He walked outside and over to Seth, snatching the axe out of his hands and slinging it off to the side before grabbing his shoulders. "Seth…Calm down! I know it sucks! It hurts like a bitch! We're going to find Leah, I promise you!"

"Get off me!" Seth snarled after he pushed Paul away. Paul was the last person he wanted to see at that moment. His whole body was shaking and he was even more pissed. "Leave. Me. Alone. Go back inside." He said and his voice was back to that deep and calm tone, the tone he used on his mother. It was unnerving to say the least.

Paul gulped and took a couple of steps back. "I know we haven't always been the best of friends, but Seth, I consider you family. I always will and I'm not going to let you destroy yourself out here!"

Seth growled loudly, the anger in him evident. It was like he was a different person. "Paul…Since when did you _ever_ give a flying fuck about me or my sister huh?" He stalked forward. "You were always a fucking dick and so fucking negative about everything. You have _never_ give a shit until recently. What is with the sudden turn around huh?"

Seth was damn near shouting and he cracked his knuckles. "Now would be a good time to give you the asswhooping you should have gotten a long time ago. Tell me why I shouldn't pummel your ass in the fucking ground?"

The others heard the shouting and were shocked at Seth and his words. They ran outside quickly.

"You wanna punch me Seth? Go the fuck ahead. Do what makes you feel better. I just want you and your sister safe." Paul said in surrender.

"Yeah I wanna punch you. I want to punch your fucking lights out. Maybe it will help me feel better." Seth's voice was still in that weird tone. He stopped directly in front of Paul and his hands were closed into fists.

"Seth…Calm down. This is not what Leah would want." Quil said smoothly.

"Do it. It's not gonna bring your sister back, but you know that. If you think I deserve this for the fights me and your sister have had over the years, go ahead. I won't even hit you back Seth." Paul said sadly.

Seth looked like he would actually do it. He raised a hand and swung, but Sam held his fist in mid air, stopping him. "Seth stop it. This will get you nowhere. We know you want Leah back, but being angry and taking it out on your brother is not the way."

Seth pulled his arm back so roughly that Sam almost stumbled. "Let me go before I punch your lights out too." He looked back at Paul. "Fuck you! Thank Sam for saving your sorry ass. I don't like you…Never have and don't think I ever will. Take your fake-ass sympathy and help elsewhere. You never cared so don't start now just because…" He swallowed hard. "My sister is not here. Stay the hell away from me _and_ my sister when we get her back. I fucking mean it or else no one will hold me back next time I want to kick your ass!" He walked, more like stomped back to the house and straight to his room with the meanest growl the others have ever heard.

The others were left standing there in shock and wondered how the hell this happened. Seth was not acting like himself and his eyes were so fierce and were glowing.

Paul sighed in defeat, not knowing how to react or what to say.

Quil laid a hand on Paul's shoulder in comfort. "He doesn't mean it right now…He's sad and scared."

"Yeah…You tried. Just give him some time." Embry added.

"All the fights Leah and I had was not meant to hurt her. I always picked on Leah because she was my equal. I've always liked her and Seth…Really! Leah was the only one who'd ever have the balls to really call me off. You guys might think you do, but before Leah joined the pack, you didn't. I'm so worried about her and if something happened to her and I never get the chance to tell her how much I care…" Paul trailed off sadly.

Sam pulled Paul in for a hug. "Don't worry…We'll find her and you'll get to tell her how much you really love her."

"Yeah." Paul grumbled and they headed back to the house.

As soon as they stepped inside, Embry went upstairs to check on Jake. He walked slowly up the stairs and looked in on his alpha, gently pushing the door open.

Jake was standing by the window, his whole body still. It sounded like he was not even breathing. Embry had to concentrate very hard to hear him. The pillow was still clutched to his chest tightly. "I was going to show her our surprise when we got home. I was going to take her to the house…_Our_ house. The house where we will build our life together."

"She's gonna love seeing it…When we bring her home." Embry confirmed.

"Remember the color we painted the nursery? We painted it in blue, a boy's color. We knew our son would love it. Remember the color of the walls outside? In her favorite color, ice blue. I know she would've loved it." Jake chuckled. "She would've loved the location of our house too…Right near the beach."

Embry nodded. "Yeah, Leah _will_ love it Jake. She's not gone. I promise you we'll find her."

"I want her here with me now. I know she's not gone because I feel her in my heart." Jake pointed to his chest. The alpha and his female bond resided there. "We were supposed to be in our house tonight. I planned a beautiful dinner and had a blanket for us to sit on the sand. Plus there was also dessert." His voice was so hollow and sad, the expression on his face pained.

Embry gulped, something inside of him was screaming at him to comfort his alpha so he did. He wrapped Jake in a tight hug. "She will be here. Maybe not right now, but she'll be here and so will your son."

Jake clutched onto Embry like his life depended on it. He closed his eyes tightly and forced his tears back. His Lee was fine; he'll find her. "I made her a promise, Embry. I promised her I'll always be there. How can I fulfill my promise now? I left her and look what happened. I promised I'd always protect her. I'm a failure." His heart was breaking because Leah's been through so much.

"No you're not. She's here because of you and she'll be home again because of you!" Embry said firmly in comfort. Jake was always so strong, brave, courageous, and rebellious. It hurt his hear to see him like that…So sad. Leah was his only weakness besides his dad. If someone did this to hurt Jake, they hit a homerun.

"I miss her so much! I want her back. I _need _my girl back! The wolf in me is going crazy with want of it's mate and pup. I want my girl dammit!" Jake shouted and squeezed Jared tighter to him to keep himself from losing control.

Embry squeezed him back just as tightly. "You'll get her back. We won't stop _until_ you do."

Jake started to tremble. "Who would do this? Who could do such a thing? Who would kidnap a pregnant, helpless woman? Why? Why Leah?" His voice cracked.

Embry just held him and within a few minutes, he felt Jake's body gave out. They've been up since morning the previous day and were searching for a very long time. The exhaustion finally crept up on Jake and knocked him out.

**AN: Finally done! That was long time coming. So…what did you guys think of this chapter? Who do you think are the suspects? What do you make of Seth's behavior? What's causing it? Remember when Leah mentioned in the Epilogue about Seth keeping things bottle up? We got to see some things come out with Paul. What do you think of that? Don't forget to review. I know you've all been waiting for this so please review and let me know what you think. **


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you to all who have alerted, favorited, and reviewed my story. It blows me away at the support I get from you readers. In spite of my familial losses, this has put a nice smile on my face. Thank you to all again! Anyway…on to the next chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it! **

'**Thoughts'**

Embry walked downstairs with his shoulders droopy and a melancholy look on his face. Jake finally passed out from exhaustion and he just put him to bed. He wondered how long Jake would be sleeping until he realized his arms were without Leah's body. He sighed. He was so worried about Jake and as he passed Seth's door, he found it was so quiet in there. He was so tempted to knock, but decided against it and kept on walking.

Sam paused in his cleaning when he saw Embry and spoke. "How is he?"

"He finally fell asleep. He's so tired and his body gave out on him. I put him to bed, but he kept tossing and turning. I doubt he'll sleep long, but let's keep our fingers crossed." Embry answered softly.

"And Seth?" Sam asked about the youngest shifter.

"I stopped in front of his door and tried to see if I could hear anything, but nothing. Either he's sleeping or he snuck out the window and left." Embry said.

"Shit! Seth is in no condition to go anywhere, not with that attitude. Someone should follow him." Sam instructed.

"No!" All eyes turned to look at Quil, their second in command.

"Why not?" Jared asked. He was really worried about Seth.

"Seth is very aggressive right now and I've been thinking. Do you remember Leah's thoughts and worries about him?" Quil asked in deep thought.

"Yeah she said he's been acting weird lately. Like he's been out working late alot and would be growling all the time for no reason." Sam said.

"I think something's up with him…Like he's hiding something. Something must've happened to trigger off his behavior and now since Leah is missing, he's more intense…Worse." Quil explained.

"But what could it be? What happened?" Embry asked in concerned. He looked out the window, worried about Seth.

"I have no idea, but whatever it is, it might be the solution too." Quil took his position seriously. "Maybe he went out for a run so let's just leave him be for now."

"Okay." Paul said sadly. He was still reeling from his and Seth's confrontation outside. It went through his mind over and over again. He knew he was partly to blame for his anger and he had alot of making up to do.

The guys all looked at Paul, feeling sorry for him.

"He'll come around don't worry." Jared said in encouragement.

"Well Paul, you can be a real douche and your past actions have come back to haunt you." Embry couldn't help but to say.

Paul growled. "Don't you think I know that? But it's too late now for regrets okay?"

"Damn right it's too late cause you deliberately acted like an asshole." Embry growled right back.

"Enough!" Quil growled in warning. "Leah is missing so now is not the time to talk about the past and who was wrong or right. Let's focus on helping Jake and Seth and getting Leah back cause if we don't, we're going to lose _both_ of them. Got it?"

Sam had a slight smirk on his face, pleased at Quil taking charge. Yes…Jacob couldn't have chosen a better Beta.

The guys all shook their heads in agreement. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Jared opened it quickly, hoping Jake did not wake up.

On the other side of the door was the delivery man. He had a bunch of bags in his hands and it was from the pack's favorite Italian restaurant in Port Angeles. That was their surprise from Leah.

Jared stared at the delivery man. "Are you sure you're at the right place? It's getting close to dawn."

"Yes. This food was supposed to come at seven or so but we messed up the order so here it is." He dropped the bags in Jared's arms. "The food was already paid for by a Leah Clearwater. Oh and also the tip so don't worry about that either. See yah." He headed off.

Quil came to the door and helped Jared with the food. They brought everything to the table.

"This is was what Leelee was talking about when she told Seth about the surprise. God, this is hard." Sam said sadly.

"Given the situation, I'm not hungry." Paul said and turned his back to the food and looked out the window. He was wondering where Seth went. He managed to sneak upstairs to check on him and found the room empty. "Oh and just so you know, Seth's definitely not in his room. I went upstairs to check on him and his window was open."

"Fuck! Okay…He's a big boy and he'll come back when he's calmed down. He won't leave Jake for too long anyway." Jared said.

Since noone was hungry, they put the food away not even wanting to see it, much less smell it. They prayed to God that Jake was still sleeping. It broke their hearts every time they had to tell Jake Leah was not there.

Out of the blue, Sam had an idea. "You know what?"

All eyes turned to him.

"We need to do some more searching, only not in the woods, but some asking around." Sam finished.

"Hmm…you know what? Let's ask our girlfriends or should I say imprints." Paul said with a bright, sarcastic smile.

"That does not sound like a bad idea. In fact, we asked all of Leah's friends and forgot all about them." Jared said in thought.

"But look at the time. Should we question them now?" Paul asked.

"Well they are at my place. They wake up early on Mondays to do bread baking for some of the bakeries remember?" Sam reminded.

"Oh yeah that's right." Jared said.

"Well you three go ahead and Embry and I will stay here just in case Jake wakes up or Seth comes back." Quil ordered.

"Gotcha boss." Paul saluted and all three of them left in a hurry.

Embry and Quil exchanged a look and sighed. The place still looked a mess and they were worried about their alpha and youngest packmate. Not to mention Leah was out there somewhere…Pregnant. They wondered how the hell they would recover from something like this.

Meanwhile Seth was out phased, roaming the woods, searching for his sister again. Their last moment before he left for patrol flashed through his mind and he pushed harder. He was so pissed at the situation and he knew he should've stayed home to protect her. He promised her he would and he failed. What kind of a brother was he? He halted in one spot, tilted his head back and howled angrily, painfully, and hurtfully. Deep down inside he hoped Leah heard him and would send some kind of a signal.

After letting out his anguished howl, he set out on his journey again. After a half an hour or so, Seth found himself in front of Raynia's house. He phased out, put on his clothes and sniffed the air. The wolf in him growled, albeit calmly. It seemed as if the smell of his girl soothed him a little. 'His girl?' He took another breath, but deeply this time like he needed her scent like oxygen. The wolf in him growled a lot more at that and his body rippled like he was going to phase again. He shook his head, wondering what the hell was going on with him? Without hesitating, he knocked on the door and waited. The knock was so powerful that it echoed. He was sure he would not need to knock again.

Raynia jumped up out of bed, looked at the time and wondered who in the world be at her home so late or should she say so early in the morning. She put on her robe and not trusting anyone, she picked up her bat from where she always kept it, and slowly walked to the door. She positioned her bat ready to swing and asked. "Who is it?"

"It's Seth."

Raynia's eyes widened. 'Seth?' Why would he be here so late, not that she was complaining. She liked him and enjoyed his company. She peeked through the peephole and blew out the breath she was holding in relief and opened the door.

Seth smiled as soon as he saw Raynia. She looked so cute in her pj's and her sleepy, light brown eyes. Her hair was wrapped up and covered with a scarf. Her pj's consisted of a yellow short shorts and a white tank top. He looked at her from head to toe appreciatively and couldn't take his eyes off her. She was shorter without her heels of course, probably around five feet, five inches and she was as thick as he could remember. Her double d's were pressed against her tank and he could see her chocolate chip-colored nipples. Her ass was pushing out of her shorts and he suddenly had an urge to squeeze it. He closed his fists and tried his best to keep his hands to his sides. 'Damn…she's gorgeous!' He growled aggressively and took an involuntary step forward.

Raynia was in shock at the predatory look in Seth's eyes and yes she was scared as hell, but a small part of her found it sexy. She never had a man looked at her like he wanted to eat her alive before. She heard his growl too and wondered if that was really what she heard. She couldn't help but to appraise him as well. He had on a blue, quarter length jeans pants that hung low on his hips and a white vest that fit him like a second skin. It was so tight and she saw how his muscles strained against the vest. Her heart was pumping so fast and she was amazed at the effect Seth had on her. She was frozen to her spot when she saw Seth took a step forward with that gaze in his eyes and she wanted to run, but the curious side of her told her to stay.

When Seth saw the look in her eyes, he shook his head to catch himself. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. It was not her fault he was acting like an animal stalking it's prey. He took deep, calming breaths to gain back a little of his sanity and then after a few moments, he smiled softly at her, reassuring her he was okay. He heard the rapid pounding of her heart and he wanted her to relax. But damn, her scent was driving him wild. That scent of sweet pea and vanilla with a hint of cherry blossoms was enough to make him go crazy. He had to say something before she slammed the door in his face in fright.

"Good night or should I say good morning." Seth said with that deep tone he used earlier.

Raynia blinked and that voice sent shivers down her spine. Not that she wasn't happy to see him or anything, but the time and not to mention what just happened between them was explosive. She couldn't deny that there was a moment, a spark of electricity in the air between them. It was frightening, yet refreshing. She shook her head out of her reverie and spoke. "Not that I'm not happy to see you or anything, but what are you doing here at this time of night?"

Seth sighed. He couldn't tell her the whole truth and he wondered to himself what he really was doing there. His mind rushed through many scenarios and excuses to tell her, but he settled on the one closest to the truth. "I couldn't sleep."

Raynia raised an eyebrow…Curious, suspicious, and surprised at his answer.

"Am…I had some trouble sleeping and decided to go for a walk. Somehow I ended up here." Seth explained.

Raynia took a good look at his appearance, a _really_ good look and she saw his face was tense…Worried. She has never seen Seth like that before. "Well you don't look so good and it is quite a distance from your house so why don't you come in?" She turned around and walked into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

Seth focused on Raynia's walk. She had such a sway to her hips and her ass was so luscious…Full. He knew if he grasped it, it would fit perfectly in his hands. He growled involuntary again at the thought. "Huh?"

Raynia turned around. "Chocolate. Would you like some hot chocolate?"

"Sure!" Seth answered. "I would love some." What the hell was wrong with him? Either way, he knew how to appreciate a sexy woman. He may be the youngest member in the pack, but he was still a _man_…A grown man at that.

Raynia got to work on the chocolate. She put some water to boil in a kettle, opened a can of evaporated milk, got out a container of natural brown sugar, a jar of Nestle Quik, and lastly, she pulled out two mugs from the top cupboard. When the kettle whistled, she proceeded to make the hot chocolate. "So…What's going on with you? Why can't you sleep?"

Seth was so focused on Raynia's movements that he missed the questions. "I'm sorry…What did you say?"

Raynia chuckled, oblivious to the attention she was receiving from Seth's eyes. She figured he had a lot on his mind. "I asked you what's going on? Why can't you sleep?"

Seth opened his mouth to answer, but paused. Raynia did not know about that part of his life yet and he couldn't just tell her about his missing sister and unborn nephew. He had to think of something and fast. "Remember on one of our dates, we had a conversation about my mother?"

Raynia nodded.

"Well my sister and I had a confrontation with her the other day and it didn't go so well." That wasn't a complete lie, but it did happen.

Raynia finished with the chocolate and brought Seth's mug over to him, then sat down next to him with hers in her hands. "Oh…What happened?"

"I don't really want to go into detail, but let's just say she raised her hand to hit me, but my sister took the hit instead." Seth confessed.

Raynia gasped. "What? She put her hands on you?"

"Well she tried to, but my sister got in the way." Seth said lowly, still pissed at what transpired with Sue. In the back of his mind, all he could think about was his missing sister and he missed her. He was so worried and he just wanted to destroy something. Back at the house, he almost took Paul's head off, but now being with Raynia, he felt a little calm. She brought him peace and even though he could never be one hundred percent serene until his sister was home, he reveled in the tranquility Raynia brought him. It was so weird because they've only known each other for a couple of days.

"I'm sorry. I know that must've been hard for the both of you." Raynia truly felt sorry for him and something in her wanted to comfort him, help him feel better, but she didn't know how. It wasn't like she had much experience with the opposite sex.

"Yeah it was. But first of all, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. I know I must've looked crazy standing in front your door at the wee hours of the morning." Seth said worriedly.

"It's okay, Seth." Deep down Raynia was kind of glad he felt he could come to her. "I hope things get better for you and your sister. She sounds like she's the best."

Seth had to try hard not to cry because every time his sister was spoken about, his heart would break a little more. He had to find her and soon before he lost it completely. "My sister _is_ the best, the best ever. I love her so much and if it wasn't for her, I don't know where I'd be today."

Being an only child, Raynia didn't really understand the bond between siblings, but from the tone in Seth's voice, she got the hint that it was very deep. "I'm sure she feels the same way about you." She loved spending time with Seth. There was just something about him that drew her to him and it amazed her because she did not have a lot of experience with men. The couple of days they hung out, she found he was a nice guy…Very intelligent, strong, funny, smart…She could go on. If Seth was willing to continue to hang out with her, she would be happy. "Don't let what happened with your mother get you down. You and your sister have made it far without her and you'll continue to do so."

"Leah." Seth said.

"What?" Raynia raised an eyebrow.

"My sister's name is Leah." Seth revealed.

Raynia smiled softly. "Leah…A nice name."

Seth finished the rest of his hot chocolate and truth be told, he felt much better than he had in a long time. He still felt a slight edge, but it wasn't as intense as before. He didn't know what it was or how, but being around Raynia helped him. "I'm sure we'll be fine. We survived my mother for years and nothing she says or does will change that." He stood up.

Raynia took Seth's standing up as his cue that he was leaving. A part of her did not want him to leave, but a part of her did. There was so much to her and she did not know if she could tell him. She knew it wasn't fair since Seth told her so much about him already, but maybe soon. She stood up as well. "Even though it was at the weirdest time of day or should I say night, thank you for coming by." She meant it.

"Seeing you helped me out immensely." Seth admitted. This was the most he felt relaxed since Leah's disappearance.

Raynia's eye lit up. "Really?"

"Yes…Really." Seth reassured and just stared at her. She was a sight for sore eyes. Again, he wondered about her ethnicity. She looked like she was half-Quileute, but he wondered about the other half. Maybe Hispanic or African-American? It didn't matter; she was stunning. He wanted to hold her, touch her, anything, but it was too soon. Then again, he thought a hug wouldn't hurt. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Her body felt just like he imagined…Very soft and he placed his head close to her neck and inhaled her wonderful scent. He found himself purring like a cat lightly, which was highly unlikely since he was a wolf and he pulled her even closer.

Raynia froze, not knowing what to do and her heart rate sped up. She didn't know if it sped up from the way Seth was holding her, or from fright. Her hands grasped his arms firmly, but she wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to pull him to her, yet push him back. For a second, she felt safe…Protected. Before she uttered a word, Seth let her go.

"I'm sorry…So sorry." Seth heard the increase in her pulse and he panicked. He let her go and stepped back a couple of steps. "I didn't mean to manhandle you like that. Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry and you didn't manhandle me. You just caught me off guard that's all. It's nothing." Raynia looked everywhere but at his face. Her heart was still pounding, but slowly winding down little by little. She had to admit that his body felt warm…Like a heater.

"Well I better go." Seth said and started walking to the door.

Raynia followed after him. "It was nice having you Seth. I hope things get better for you and your sister soon with your mom."

Seth smiled weakly. "I doubt it will. I'll call you okay?"

"Okay." Raynia answered softly.

Seth fought the urge to trace her lips. She was so beautiful and he couldn't wait to have her in his arms again. He realized, however, the way she tensed up at their close proximity. Her responses to his touches had the wheels in his mind turning and he would get to the bottom of things. "Bye." His voice was soft…Tender because that was what she looked and felt like.

"Bye." Raynia replied and closed the door. She leaned her back against it and sighed. Seth was a fine piece of specimen and she wondered what it was he saw in her. She felt something stir in her with his touch and his presence was just…She sighed again. Maybe she was just imagining things. Seth Clearwater was too fine for her and whenever she looked at him, she saw the words "stop, no, and don't." He was unattainable to a girl like her. She sighed once more and headed back to bed.

Paul, Sam, and Jared all headed over to Sam's place. They were not going to point any fingers, but with the imprints' behaviors recently, they weren't going to put anything past them.

"So how should we approach them guys?" Jared asked curiously.

"Well we can't just go accusing them of anything. I mean they are the obvious suspects, but we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Remember, innocent until proven guilty." Sam advised.

"Hm…Even if they are the culprits, how the hell will we deal with them? They are our imprints. Well...I don't care about Rachel anymore though." Paul confessed.

"I could say the same for Kim. Besides…I'm talking to a new girl to which you guys know about anyway. However, we're just friends. I will never pull a Sam on Mallory." Jared laughed out loud.

"Hey! Why'd you have to bring up old stuff? I'm in the same boat as you. However, I'm a lot more serious about Felicia though." Sam turned serious. "I'm starting to develop some real feelings for her."

Jared and Paul paused midstep…Stunned.

"Are you serious?" Paul asked surprisingly.

"Yeah…I don't know but there's something about her. I haven't made a move yet though. I always remember Leah's warnings to me." Sam went quiet at the thought of Leah. He was so worried and tried his best not to show it. He hoped the guys didn't catch it.

"Yeah…I remember her telling me the same thing when I told her about getting Mallory's number from Felicia. I can't wait until we find her. I miss my Alpha Female." Jared said sadly. He shocked Sam and Paul with that confession. He knew the Leah the least out of all the guys.

"I understand…I miss her too. That's why we need to investigate and find her. If we miss her this much, imagine Jake and Seth. They're in a worse condition than we are." Paul replied.

Sam was relieved they did not catch his brief, sad mood. "Well the imprints are together as we speak so let's kill three birds with one stone shall we?" Sam said as they reached his yard and saw Rachel's and Kim's car parked outside.

Sam walked in without a word, followed by Paul and Jared. They were quiet and tried to listen to the ladies, but all they were talking about was what they were going to buy to redecorate Kim's house.

"Emily!" Sam's voice boomed.

The ladies ceased their conversation and Emily cringed. She knew they weren't getting along and Sam coming home and bellowing her name out like he was the police, ruined her mood.

"Kim." Jared called out.

"Rachel." Paul said.

The ladies looked at one another and smiled slightly. Maybe the guys were coming back to make up. They've never sought them out together like that before.

"Whatcha been up to ladies?" Jared asked.

"Oh nothing much. Just chatting and catching up." Kim answered with a smile. Despite her and Jared fighting lately, she still loved him.

"Hm…Cool." Paul said.

Sam was mostly quiet and just watching Emily. She was taking out some freshly baked bread from the oven. His mind flashed to Leah removing a cake from her oven and he was reminded as to why they were there. "What do you know about Leah's disappearance?"

Emily, Rachel, and Kim paused; they were stunned at the news.

"What?" Emily was the first to recover. "What are you talking about?"

"Leah and her unborn child are missing. She was missing since yesterday. We left to go for patrol, came back, and she was gone. What have you done?" Paul asked firmly.

"Oh my God! Jake must be devastated! Where and how is he? I need to find him." Rachel said as she hurriedly put on her shoes.

"Jake is with his brothers, Rachel and he's asleep. He exhausted himself searching for her." Paul answered.

"Are you seriously accusing us of Leah's disappearance?" Emily asked in shock.

The guys remained silent.

"I may hate Leah for taking up all your time and for taking you back from me, but I would never kidnap her or an unborn child. That's just revolting and doesn't make any sense. I wished Leah would disappear and I got it. Looks like there were more people than us who loathed her. They just had the guts to do something about it." Emily said with a smirk on her face.

Sam had to fight with himself not to wipe that stupid smirk off Emily's fucking face. "For the last time, there is nothing going on between Leah and I! How could you act like this? There's an innocent baby involved here! Have you no shame?"

"That's what you and her get for being selfish. Leah took up all you guys' time without any thought to us. I would never do something like that anyway, even if I wanted to. I would surely lose you if I did." Kim said sadly to Jared.

"Blame us all you want I don't care, but I need to see my brother and make sure he's alright." Rachel said.

"I told you Jake is fine. Besides' he wouldn't want to see you anyway. Why would he want to see someone who hates his girl?" Paul retorted.

"Look…I don't have to like Leah, but she makes my brother happy and that's all that matters." Rachel said firmly. "You guys should know us better than that anyway. You should know what we're capable of and what we're not capable of. Shame on _you_ for even thinking such a thing about us." Rachel reprimanded.

"Fine….You guys didn't do it." Sam said as he listened to Rachel's speech.

"If you hear anything, please let us know. I doubt you'll say anything, but please…There's a baby to think about here. Don't let him suffer because of your selfish, jealous ways." Sam advised.

"You're right." Emily admitted quietly. "The baby is what matters. I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"Us too." Rachel and Kim nodded.

The guys then left and headed back to Leah's place. They arrived to find Jake struggling against Embry and Quil.

"Let me go! I've got to find Leah! She's in danger dammit!" Jake shouted.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"He woke up a little after you guys left, wanting to leave, but he's in no such condition." Embry explained.

"We're going to search again in the morning. Daylight is the best time to search. Besides, Jake is no good to us if he's exhausted." Quil said firmly, but his heart was breaking for his alpha.

Jake continued to struggle against Quil and Embry. "Let…Me…Go!" It sounded awfully close to an alpha command, but it wasn't. Jake was not in his right mind to use it.

"I'm going to call Carlisle and have him come over and give him a sedative. He'll hate it, but it's for his own good." Sam rushed over to the phone, called Carlisle and within five minutes, he was there with the sedative ready.

"Since shape-shifters have the ability to heal quickly, I tripled the dosage from that of a normal one. He should be out for a couple of hours. Hold him still." Carlisle instructed.

Jared joined Embry and Quil in holding down Jake and were successful.

Carlisle administered the sedative and Jake was out within a few minutes. Quil and Jared carried Jake back upstairs and put him to bed since that was where Leah's scent was the strongest. They put the pillow back in his arms to his chest.

"Thank you." Sam said to Carlisle.

"We'll continue searching since we can be up all night. If there is anything else we can do, don't hesitate to call us." Carlisle nodded and left.

Everyone sighed sadly and looked up the stairs worried about Jake. Seth still hasn't arrived home yet either and they worried even more.

"Seth will be here soon…I know it." Quil said encouragingly.

Sam turned away, not wanting to face the guys anymore. His first love was missing and even though they weren't together anymore, that did not mean it didn't hurt any less.

"Sam…We all know how much Leah means to you. You okay?" Embry asked.

"How do you think I am? I am literally going crazy inside, but I can't lose it too. We already have Jake and Seth to deal with. I can't add myself to that. Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Sam said with his back still turned.

Jared and Paul, knowing Sam better than the rest of them looked at him hard.

"It's okay to be upset...You love her." Jared said.

"You should lie down on the couch or maybe in the spare bedroom. I don't want you going anywhere alone either. It's not your burden to bear Sam…Not when it comes to Leah." Paul added.

Sam whirled around and growled. Paul said the weirdest shit sometimes. "Of course it's my fucking burden to bear! She was my first love so why would you say something like that! And don't worry…I know my place!"

Paul growled. "I just don't want you to be alone that's all. Yeesh! I'm trying here okay? I may be a dick sometimes, but I know when my friends are hurting and you my friend are hurting!"

"I said I'm fine! I'm not alone. What? You want me to break down too? That's not going to happen okay? Jake and Seth need us! I'll deal with my grief my own way!" Sam retorted, walking away to the dining room, and locked himself in, not wanting to be disturbed.

Paul scrubbed a hand down his face and groaned. "He is so not fine."

"Nope…He's trying to hold it in." Embry said looking at the dining room door. "I'm going upstairs and stay with Jake. I know he's tossing and turning. I think now would be a good idea to use the CD so I'm going to put it on. Maybe hearing Leah's voice will help him sleep better." Embry took the CD and went upstairs to sit with Jake.

"You guys hear that? It sounds like Sam is crying in there." Quil announced.

Jared sighed. "That's Sam…He'll want to grieve alone." He looked at the door and sent a silent well wish to Sam.

In the dining room, Sam was leaning head first on top of the table while he was sitting down on a chair. He was trying to catch his breath. 'Leelee…Wherever you are, I'll find you. _We'll _find you and bring you back to Jacob and Seth. As long as I am breathing, I'll find you and bring you home. _All_ of us will.'

That was the promise the pack kept to themselves to help them sleep that night. Embry stayed in Leah's room with Jake…Stereo softly playing and it helped his alpha sleep.

**AN: As you can see, every is suffering from Leah's disappearance. That just goes to show how much she came to mean to them. So what are your thoughts? Don't forget to review! **

**P.S. There are links on my profile of photos of how I picture Raynia. Tell me what you think. Oh and I should've done this a long time ago, but there are also links to photos of how I picture Leah too. Check it out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I am so glad you guys like the girls I chose. I looked hard and long and it paid off. Thank you for your kind words. For those of you wondering, I'm not going to write a chapter in Leah's POV. I think if I do, I won't find a way to tell Leah's side without revealing who took her. The story is not going to be as long as the first one anyway so all will be revealed in due time. Just hold on to your seatbelts cause you are in for a ride. Lol! Just a little warning though. This chapter is full of angst as well. Enjoy! **

'**Thoughts'**

Two weeks have passed…Two long weeks. There was no word, no scent, no sight of Leah at all. Paul thought he might actually go crazy. He thought maybe something did finish off the invincible Leah Clearwater and he didn't think he could deal with that.

Embry and Quil kept by Jake and Seth's side, while Jared and Paul stuck by Sam's. On some days, Embry, Quil, Paul, and Jared would rotate and take turns watching them. When one of the three weren't crying, they were silent as the stars. They searched the woods still…Everyday. It was just that it hit them they might never find her.

Sam was a mess internally, but tried to hold it together. He was lucky he had Felicia; she was so sweet in her encouraging words. She was worried about Leah too and at times was hysterical, but Sam always managed to calm her down. They leaned on each other for strength and support and it brought them closer together. Sam's feelings for her deepened every day, but he refused to make a move or change their relationship until the situation with Emily was handled. He owed it to Felicia, himself and to Leah to take his time and just wait. Sam smiled weakly. Leah was right…natural love _is_ the best love.

Seth became a lot more aggressive and angry each day that went by Leah wasn't home. He put alot of the blame on himself and hated that he didn't fulfill his promise. He was not eating or sleeping and he was quick to bite someone's head off if they uttered just one wrong word. He found himself disappearing a lot more and ended up by Raynia's house all the time. He wanted to tell her about the supernatural part of his life, but he wasn't ready and neither was she. They were still dating, but he wanted to take it slow. She always made his day better and cheered him up. He hasn't kissed her yet though and he wanted to so bad. He wanted to hold her like he did two weeks ago, but didn't because of her reaction. However, he did do small gestures like holding her hand or tracing little patterns on her face. But at times, he growled so much around her and she even commented and told him his eyes were glowing at one point. After that was said, he bolted from there like a bat out of hell. He would always leave her in a good mood, but when he got home, his mood changed instantly back to being a beast.

Jake was a complete mess. The only thing keeping him from losing it was the connection he still felt in his chest. He knew in his heart Leah was alive and out there somewhere. However, with each passing day, the connection dimmed bit by bit. It was like Leah was dying slowly…losing her energy. He wasn't eating or sleeping and his body always gave out when he pushed himself too hard. He would pass out only to wake up later with nightmares of Leah and their son being rescued only to be taken away again.

Conversations were few and far between at the house. Leah was officially one week towards her due date. Was she still pregnant? Did the stress of being taken force early labor? Was her labor induced? All of these thoughts ran through the minds of the pack, but they never gave up hope.

Billy did not take the news of Leah's disappearance well and came to check on Jake every other day. He was the only one who got even a little response from Jake.

No one knew what to do. The Makah crowd have dropped by certain times and even they barely got responses. Everyone was broken and everything around them was falling. There haven't been a visitor to the house in days. However, on this cold, rainy night, there was a knock on the door.

Embry opened the door, but there was noone in sight. Seconds later, Embry heard a small cry…A baby…The soft whimpers of a child. He looked down and saw a baby in a basket. It's fingers and toes wiggling in the cold, night air. The cries were low, but strong. He focused hard on the baby's features and it suddenly dawned on him and he called out for Jake frantically. "Jake!"

Hearing the sound of Embry's voice, Jake looked up from a map of the forests and rushed over to the door. "What is it? Is it Leah?"

The rest of the pack flew out as well upon hearing the frantic screams.

Embry froze, not sure how to tell Jake about the baby. If it was any other time, he would've had doubts, but he knew for a fact, the baby was Jake and Leah's son. He was so worried about how Jake would take the news. He finally turned around and faced Jake, his face melancholy and body tense. "Jake…" He started softly. "It's your son."

Jake's face contorted in a series of emotions. He did not know how to feel. Happiness, sadness, frustration, anger, relief, and disbelief were shown all over his face and body language. "My son?" He whispered.

Seth looked down at his nephew in disbelief. "It can't be…No! No!" Leah had to be around somewhere…Anywhere. She wouldn't abandon her little boy. His head began pounding badly and he nearly collapsed from the anguish he was going through. He didn't know whether to be happy that the baby was alive and with them or to be sad Leah wasn't.

"Leah has got to be around here somewhere. She's close by." Jake ran outside. "Embry! Quil! Paul! She's close by! She would not just leave him. Leah!" He called out looking around frantically for her.

"Jake!" Jared gritted his teeth and knelt down, picking up the little guy into his arms and wrapped him in the thin blanket that came with him in the basket.

Jake turned to Jared when heard his name.

"Leah wouldn't leave him you know that. She's not out there, Jake." Jared said softly.

"Are we…Are we sure? What if…What if Leah had post-partum depression or something and she didn't want to be a mom anymore?" Paul said worriedly. "What if she just left him?"

"Never!" All eyes turned to Sam. "She wouldn't fucking do that."

"Leah always wanted to be a mother. She would never do that. Don't fucking say that! You hear me? Don't say that!" Seth growled out ready to beat the crap out of Paul. He was already treading on thin ice with him.

Paul looked at Seth sadly and nodded.

"If the baby is here and Leah's not, then that means…" Sam trailed off and gritted his teeth. "Leelee! She can't…She can't be gone!" He shook his head back and forth.

Jake looked at the baby in Jared's arms. His son was here, but _where_ was his Lee? "Leah! Where are you?" He grasped his chest, feeling it burning with so much pain. The wolf in him was howling and thrashing madly. Jake let out an ear piercing scream of Leah's name. The sound echoed throughout the whole rez. The Cullens sure heard it too and their hearts broke at Jake's scream.

At that, the little guy in Jared's arms began to cry, small little wails that only weeks ago they were all looking forward to hearing so much.

Quil went to get Jake and brought him inside.

The rest of the pack followed and Jared began to rub the baby's back. "Jake…Come on man…Get it together. Your son's here." Even he was on the verge of tears. None of them knew what to do. They didn't know how to hold a baby, let alone feed or change one. They needed Leah here and she wasn't.

Jake finally broke down and all the tears he was holding for weeks came rushing out like a river. All could be heard from him were whispers of Leah's name. He glanced at his son and cried harder. His looked just like his mother, but had his eyes. He had Jake's soft, warm brown eyes. God…How would he be able to look his son in the face without seeing Leah and knowing she was missing?

Seth stared at his nephew as well and he growled , punching a hole in the wall. He grabbed the axe from the corner in the kitchen and went to pound some wood. With each swing of the axe, glimpses of Leah and him talking about the arrival of the baby went through his mind. Each swing got weaker and weaker and the aggression turned into cries and whimpers and he finally threw the axe to the side and dropped to the ground in tears.

Jake and Seth couldn't bear to look at the baby yet; it was too much. Leah was supposed to be there with them. They were supposed to come home with the baby together, but it never happened.

Quil took the baby from Jared and gulped. He was after all his second cousin. He had no idea what he was doing or going to do, but Jake and Seth weren't ready to step up just yet. "Sam, Embry, Jared…Get Jake and Seth put back together." Quil walked into the kitchen, the baby wailing in his arms. "Paul…Call Carlisle and tell him to come over right now."

"Something wrong with the baby?" Paul asked.

"We're not going to know unless we get him checked out." Quil answered.

"Right!" Paul picked up the receiver and dialed Carlisle's number right away. He then hung up after a couple of minutes and turned to Quil. "Carlisle is on his way along with Rosalie. She is the baby's Godmother after all and she'll be able to help us with him."

Quil nodded, looking down at the baby in his arms. "God he looks just like Leah, but he's got Jake's eyes."

Jake was still crying softly, calling out for his Lee. "Lee…She's alive…I know it. She has to be." He grabbed at his chest. "We _need _to find her." He sagged against Embry.

Embry wrapped Jake in his arms. "We will…You know that Jake. We're not going to give up until we find her, but look…Your son's in the house Jake! He's here! Come on Jacob…Don't you want to see him? He has your eyes!" Embry said in encouragement. A small part of him felt that even if they didn't find Leah, a piece of her would be with them through her son.

Jake was very conflicted; he wanted to see his son so badly. His wolf wanted to see it's pup, but it was so hard. His son looked like his mother too much and he did not know if he would be able to stand it. "It's hard Em." He cried out. "He looks so much like her. I don't know if I'll be able to bear it." He whimpered, while glancing at the baby's face. One would think Jake was acting like a baby himself, but when it came to the people he cared about, he was not afraid to show emotion. Whoever did this to them knew where to aim and they aimed very well.

Seth, however got his act together and lifted himself out of Jared's arms and got to his feet. He felt conflicted too and wasn't sure if he could face his nephew, but he had to try. Lee would want him to. She made him promise that if anything happened to her, he would help Jake with their son. He walked slowly to Quil, by passing Paul with a slight growl.

Quil looked up at Seth, then back down at the baby who was still softly crying. "Hey little guy…Your Uncle Seth's here to see you. Aren't you happy?" The poor thing really didn't look happy. God he looked like his mother so damn much…Leah's jet black hair, her full, pretty lips, and smooth skin. He also had her high cheekbones.

Seth was shaking the closer he got to his nephew. He froze once he reached in front of Quil and just stared at the baby. His stare was so intense and his feelings radiated off of him. Maybe that was why the baby was crying so much…He could feel the tense feelings in the room. Seth continued to stare and noted the resemblance between his sister and her son was uncanny.

A few minutes passed and while Quil was gently rocking the baby, he stopped crying. He stared around with his big, beautiful eyes, hands and arms aimlessly reaching for this and that. One would think a newborn would be still, quiet, and always sleeping, but not this little one. This was a full-blooded wolf baby, baby of an alpha and a female wolf. Saying he was little was an understatement; he looked about nine or ten pounds.

Seth regained his composure and nodded his head, indicating he was ready. He reached his arms out and Quil put his nephew in his arms. Seth pulled him to his chest and cradled him sweetly. His nephew whom he was waiting so long for, was finally here and he cried silently. The feeling was bittersweet. Tears were running down his face as he held his nephew and breathed in his scent. His scent was just like Leah's, only softer and masculine…Like his father.

The baby stared up at Seth, his mouth opening and closing like he was talking, hands feeling wondrously along Seth's chest and anything else he could touch. He was a pretty big baby and the one who was kicking his hand every time he touched his sister's stomach.

The others watched the uncle-nephew moment and they were happy for Seth. He was holding a piece of his sister in his arms. They thought that perhaps, he would be a little calmer now…Less aggressive.

Seth smiled, the first smile the pack has seen in weeks, at his nephew. "Hello baby. I'm your Uncle Seth…Your _real_ uncle; not like these knuckleheads." His smile was still in place. "I have been waiting a long time for you. I'm so glad you're here." The tears were still falling…Tears of joy that his nephew was home…Tears of anguish his sister was not. "I love you already." He kissed his forehead and pulled him closer to his chest.

Embry was still consoling Jake. "Jake…Please…I know it's hard, but you _promised_ Leah, Jake! You _promised_ you'd always look after him! Come on…You can do this!" He chided as he pulled Jake to his feet.

Jake's whimpers turned quiet and all could be heard from him was sniffles. He stood up straight on his feet and looked at Seth and the baby. While he stared at them, Embry continued to cheer him on.

"That's your son, Jake. You're a dad now. You're a father…It's amazing." Embry looked at him hopefully.

"My son…My pup." Jake's voice switched between his wolf's and normal tone. He took a step forward then another and another until he raced over to Seth and his son. Once he reached them, he too froze and just stared.

The pack was watching him anxiously, praying he wouldn't change his mind and bolt.

"Isn't he beautiful Jake?" Seth asked, looking down at the baby, then up at Jake. "Look at him Jake…He's a mixture of us…He has our blood running through his veins."

Jared gulped, watching him sadly. But he was happy…They waited so long to see him. It was a special kind of magic, a first time for the pack even. He couldn't help but wonder who dropped him off…Why they kept Leah and gave the baby back. He wondered what the baby's been through from there to here.

"JB…" Jake whispered in awe. He was looking at his _son_…His _pup_. It was all surreal.

"What?" Seth looked up and asked.

"Jacob William Harry Black…JB for short."

Seth's eyes widened. "That's his name?" He looked down at the baby again. "JB…I like it. I love him already. He's a part of you and he's a part of Leah. She would want us to be there for him…Not give up. He's your son…Your son who you've been waiting for so long. Now you get to see who's been kicking the shit out of Leah." Seth smiled weakly. Inside he was cringing in fear of where his sister was.

Jake took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of his son. It was so soft, sweet, yet had a masculine zing to it…Like fresh pine. "My son…_My son_!" Jake cried out and gently took him from Seth and the feeling he got from holding him was pure joy. "My handsome baby boy…You're here and you're home. Jacob William Harry Black…My boy…My pup." Jake's eyes turned black, indicating the alpha was out. He brought JB's head closer to him and nuzzled his cheeks, then kissed them.

Sam smiled weakly, but warmly at the gestures. The sight before him filled him with an aptitude of family; even if Leelee was missing. But he knew they would find her and soon. Seeing Jacob with his son made him want to have a son of his own, but he knew his time would come when he was ready. He had to find the right woman first.

Paul was happy at the sight of the little family. They had each other now and Leah would always be a part of them in their hearts if they never found her.

Jake brought JB closer to his chest and breathed him in deeply over and over again. JB looked so big from far, but he was so tiny in his arms. He made a vow to always be there for his son…Guide him, protect him, show him the ways of a man. He would teach and show his son everything there was to know about life…Period. He knew his son would also make an excellent alpha one day.

JB ogled at his father and grabbed a finger in his palm. He had one helluva grip. He looked like his mom, but JB was all Jacob Black. A future proud, strong alpha.

The alpha retreated and Jake was surprised at how strong his son was. "Wow…Seth he is strong." He finally brought himself to speak normally after so long. A part of his heart was able to breathe better. His son filled a huge void and he knew once they found Leah, she would fill the other. He vowed to never give up and would keep searching until he has exhausted all opportunities. He now had to live for his son though so he strengthened his resolve. He was determined to live and fight for his son. JB needed him whole and even though he couldn't be at the moment, he promised to try. "Don't worry JB…You're with daddy now and you're safe. If only you could speak and tell us where you came from. I give you my word, I'll get your mother back…I promise. I love you JB." He kissed his forehead tenderly and cradled him to his chest some more.

Carlisle and Rosalie arrived when that sickly, sweet scent burned their nostrils and filled the air around them. Even JB started to get a little fussy. All the guys were alert and growled immediately.

Rosalie practically stomped in. "Where's my Godson!"

Jake already couldn't stand her and he knew she meant well, but he wasn't going to put up with her bitchy attitude.

Before Jake answered her, Carlisle did. "Rosalie…Behave. You'll get to see him when Jacob says so. Besides, he needs to be evaluated first."

Rosalie groans impatiently, looking at JB with love already.

The guys were all tensed and ready to strike at the simplest movement. They were hovering very close to Jake and JB like bodyguards.

It didn't bother Carlisle in the least because he was expecting that kind of behavior. After all, he's been around for a long time and knew the behaviors of wolves. "Hello gentlemen…I see that the baby is here despite the circumstances. I was called to check him over and I promise it won't be long." He lifted his doctor bag onto the counter and went straight to work in taking out the necessary equipment. "Can you please bring him over? Jacob, you can hold him while I do the physical check-up." Noticing Seth's aggravated face, he called out to him too. "Seth, you can come over as well."

Jake and Seth moved together, step by step, JB close between them. Jake reluctantly placed the baby on top of the blanket Carlisle laid out.

Carlisle went to touch JB's forehead, but Seth growled viciously. That aggressive, rebellious streak showing again and he grabbed Carlisle's wrist, stopping him. "Handle with care." The warning was short, but serious and straight to the point. It was taken crystal clear.

Jake looked at Seth reassuring him it was okay. He remembered how well Carlisle treated him after the newborn battle.

"I understand and everything will be alright." Carlisle was cool about it, understanding his fierceness. It did not bother him in the least.

Seth nodded, then removed his hand from the vampire's and Carlisle went to work.

The whole pack almost crowded in actually as they all watched with anxious eyes.

Carlisle checked JB's heartbeat, temperature, skin, stomach, private area, brain, and back. "Wow…Fascinating!" He did a double take.

"What?" Jake asked.

"His temperature is normal for a child, but still slightly higher. Being that he's a full-blooded wolf, he is very strong for a baby. His heartbeat is excellent and it's pumping like that of a four-year-old. He will age like a normal baby so everything is good there." Carlisle informed.

The guys breathed out a sigh of relief; they couldn't deal with a Renesmee repeat.

Carlisle checked his skin again. "It seemed like it was a natural birth so he'll need to be washed and cleaned thoroughly." He paused, noticing something.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked in alarm.

"There are a few small scratches on his back. They appear to be healing just fine though." Carlisle said.

"So Leah was on the fucking ground while she was giving birth?" Seth asked angrily.

"Yes…She was either on the ground or on something hard…Like a piece of a cardboard box or something of the sort. When he came out, there was probably no one to hold him so he was probably just lying there on the ground moving around until someone came and got him." Carlisle informed sadly. Even though he was used to delivering bad news because of his profession, he never got used to them or the feeling he got while delivering the news.

Rosalie cringed and covered her mouth. "But he's not covered in blood or anything. Doesn't that mean he was okay when he was born? There were no serious complications?"

"I'm not sure. He's a full-blooded wolf so any complication he might have had must have healed already so I can't really tell. Unless he never had any. Those scratches look like they were a little deep, but not deep enough to bleed heavily." Carlisle explained.

Rosalie looked at Paul. "So he was just lying in a fucking basket on the damn porch?"

Paul growled. He was so not in the mood to deal with her. "Yes…Someone rang the doorbell and Embry answered the door. He didn't see anyone but looked down and saw JB."

"So whoever did this is fast…Other shifters? A vampire?" Rosalie asked.

Jake perked up and growled. 'Other shifters?' That haven't crossed his mind before. But the thought of a vampire did. When he spoke, his voice was tense and irritated. "We don't know who did this. We searched for weeks so we have no fucking idea okay Rosalie?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes and just crossed her arms.

Carlisle's calm voice cut through the tension. "Well Jacob Jr. is good and healthy by all means."

Seth picked JB up quickly and held him close as soon as Carlisle placed him on the blanket. "Thank you Carlisle." He spoke through gritted teeth. He was on edge and he was waiting for him and Rosalie to do one thing to set him off.

"You're welcome." Carlisle replied.

"May I hold my Godson finally?" Rosalie asked annoyed.

Jake, Seth, and the others growled again. She was grating on their nerves.

They only put up with her for Leah's sake. They couldn't understand why Leah liked her so much, but then again they were both bitches so that explained everything.

"Wait!" Seth growled out. He looked over at Jake and he nodded in response, letting him know it was okay.

Jake was the most tense of all of them, but he had to remember this was for Leah.

Seth slowly, but surely handed JB over to Rosalie.

Rosalie's cold face softened as soon as JB hit her arms. She smiled beautifully down at the little guy, his bright brown eyes looking up at her curiously. "You look just like your mom don't you? But you've got such pretty eyes…Yes you do!" She kissed his tiny nose and JB cooed out a small gurgle.

The others, particularly Sam were watching her like a hawk. He never liked the Cullens mainly because of their kind.

Jake smiled weakly and already had the urge to take his son back into his own arms so he did. "Okay Rosalie…I have a proposition for you." He hoped what he was about to say do not piss off his brothers.

Rosalie crossed her arms, not liking having JB taken back already. "And that is?"

The alpha in Jake was on the verge of snapping. "If you don't cut it out with the fucking attitude, I'm not going to tell you shit and just never let you see JB again. I am not in the mood for your bitchiness so don't mess with me. Do you want to hear it or not?"

Rosalie inhaled deeply and bit her lip to keep from snapping back. She tried to be thoughtful so she nodded her head to hear the proposition.

"Good….You are JB's Godmother. When Leah first asked me, she was so happy about it and I agreed with her so that made her extra happy. Now Leah…" Jake trailed off and breathed deeply. It was hard to speak her name. "My girl is not here for now and I know she would be happy that a female role model is in JB's life. He will need a nurturing touch of a female." He took another deep breath, hoping the guys won't protest too much about what he was going to say next. "I am granting you temporary immunity to cross the border to help with JB."

**AN: Well I had to stop it there. Truth be told my fingers were getting tired of typing. Lol! I did think that was a good place to stop though. So…Little Jacob is here. It's such a sad, yet happy occasion. Why do you think JB was dropped off? Who did it? How was he able to be dropped of without anyone noticing? Review and tell me what you think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Okay so I watched "Eclipse" last night and I've got to say that it was so stupid. It was such a disaster. Bella was pissing me off so bad that I turned it, not wanting to see the rest. Ugh! I mean…What kind of a triangle is that? That last time I checked, a triangle is when one party is involved with TWO parties, spends time with BOTH parties, loves, touches, and kisses BOTH parties and the choice is VERY hard for the one party. It's NOT when one party is in love with another one and always turning down the third one, making him look like a dog, no pun intended, chasing her all the time and always being turned down or kicked like a hurt puppy. That was the WORSE triangle in history. Jacob had no chance with Bella from the getgo and it was so obvious. I did not see the point in that retarded movie or the books too. What a waste of my time! The movies are just bringing the books to life anyway. So glad we have to write out REAL triangles that actually makes sense and have readers wondering just who the person will choose. Definitely not going to waste my time or money to watch "Breaking Down" either. SM's triangle was sloppy, not well written, and she messed up Jake and wrote him stupidly. Ugh! **

**Anyway…enough of my rant. Sorry about that, but I had to get it off my chest. I was wondering what all the fuss was about when the movie came out, but it's nothing to brag about. So glad I waited for it to come out on cable cause I would've walked out of the movie theater right in the middle of it. **

**Sorry about that again. Lol! Just thinking about it gets me annoyed to no end. But on to the next chapter you've all been waiting for. Thanks to all of my readers for reading and also to my reviewers. You guys have no idea how much you make my day when I read what you have to say about the chapters. Special thanks go out to **OoOMerry-had-a-little-lambOoO**, **BB-Waters**, **BabeRuthless1985**, **brankel1**, **fairgirl**, **Jada91**, and **ABarbieStory** for reviewing faithfully to both of my stories. You guys make my day and I'm so grateful. Thank you! Oh and special greetings to TamTam4mSOUTHAFRICA from South Africa. Welcome! **

**Okay…I promise I'm done. This was my longest AN ever and hopefully my last long one. Lol! **

'**Thoughts'**

The others were silent, yet inwardly seething. They understood why and where Jake was coming from, but she was a leech and they didn't trust her.

"Just so you know it is _only_ you. If we so much as smell another one of you on our land without permission, we're going to tear you to shreds and burn your bodies. Got it?" Quil said and surprised the hell out of them. He was Beta for a reason and he was showing it.

Rosalie tried her best to keep her mouth shut and she spoke through gritted teeth. "Yes!" They knew Rose was not one to keep her mouth shut and she was trying to so hard, but one look at JB made it worth it. Besides, Leah would be happy to know she took care of him while she was gone.

Jake nodded to the others and patted his cousin's shoulder in reassurance. They acted worse than he did at times. He turned back to Rose. "You're going to come over when _I ask_ you to come. This is only until Leah comes home. You're JB's Godmother so don't worry about not seeing him again because you will. Leah loves you and it was by her request that you became JB's guardian. Just remember what I said Rosalie." He said, the alpha persona lurking underneath. Truth be told, the alpha hated this arrangement, but they had no choice right now. He thought about his dad, but his dad could only do so much and he didn't want him to wear himself out too much. But then again, newborns were the easiest since all they do was sleep, eat, and poop. Sue was out of the question and Jake wouldn't have minded Esme, but he knew it would be disrespectful to Rose to not ask her because of the position she had. The others liked Esme better as well, but they knew that was not what Leah would want.

Rosalie pouted, but nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you for understanding. I'll be asking you over quote a bit being that me and the guys have no clue what to do yet. If you don't mind, can we have a lesson now? JB needs to bathe, get dressed, and be fed." Jake requested.

Rosalie grinned. Only the thought of being near and helping her Godson could make her so happy. She would never admit it, but she was grateful to Jacob for giving her the time to be with him. She felt a little honored too. "He's a week early right? So he's got to be a week old and he needs Leah's breast milk, but…" She looked away slightly, then at Carlisle. "Carlisle? Did you bring formula? He could be days old too…Not even a week."

Jake held JB outstretched in his arms so he could take a good look at him. "Hm…From the looks of it, he's got to be days old. Right Carlisle?"

Carlisle looked the baby over and nodded. "Yes you're right."

Jake gulped. "Leah was due next week…" He trailed off. "Anyway…We did stock up on some formula. We have about four different brands because we wasn't too sure which one JB would like. Seth bought some things for him a couple of weeks ago before we went on patrol and Leah was you know." Jake looked down. Talking about it was so hard and if it wasn't for JB in his arms, he would've broken down again. He looked up. "Everything else is in the nursery at the house I was going to surprise her in so we'll use what Seth bought."

Seth was literally shaking inside because he remembered his deal with his sister on letting JB use his stuff first. Leah was supposed to be there with them to put the clothes on. He grasped Embry's shoulder for support to stay upright and Embry placed a hand on his to try to calm him.

"Good idea on the different brand of formulas Jacob. There's no telling what a baby would like. Even though they're all formula, they each have a distinct taste. JB will be very picky too because of his keen senses from being a full-blooded wolf baby. Rose, go ahead and line up the formulas." Carlisle said.

Jake indicated with a nod of his head where the formulas were and Rose nodded, going through the formulas on the counter. Then, she picked the one that looked best to her, the Similac brand, and walked into the living room to call Jake and the others into the kitchen so they could sit with her and watch so they could learn.

Seth already brought down the bottles, bibs and everything else into the kitchen so Rose could do her thing.

Rose filled up the bottle with baby water; it was an eight ounce bottle. "First you have to make sure the water is warm, not hot." She put it in the microwave for a few seconds, then tested the temperature on her fingertip. "Now JB will have a big appetite because of his wolf genes. Even though they're not fully manifested yet, he will have some of the qualities like the healing we mentioned earlier and a big appetite. So instead of four ounces a regular baby eats, JB gets eight." She chuckled as she put four scoops of formula in the bottle and shook it for it to dissolve in the water. "So you're going to put four scoops of the formula in the bottle. The milk won't be too thick or watery; it'll be just right. This might be his first feeding I'm not sure. If he's been crying it probably is."

"Yeah he's been crying. You're trying the Similac brand first huh? Well let's see how he likes it. Show me what to do." Jake asked as he took the bottle from her.

"Well we should put on his bib first so the milk doesn't spill on his chest." Rosalie advised.

Seth regained his composure. "I'm already on it." He smiled brightly when he took a bib that had the words "I'm too Cute for TV" and put it on JB expertly. "How'd I do?"

Rosalie nodded with a small smile. "Great. Now if Leah didn't get a chance to give him breast, he won't know what to do." She gently lowered the bottle Jake was holding to JB's lips, but he turned his head away from it like it held no interest to him. "You have to get him to open his mouth. It's usually instinct after a couple tries so use your pinky."

"Okay." Jake took his pinky and gently put it into JB's mouth and tried to open it gently and slowly. The others looked on in anticipation. "Come on JB…Open up for daddy please?"

Much to Jake's satisfaction, the little guy opened his tiny mouth and started to suck on Jake's finger.

"He might do that a lot, suck on your fingers. It might help him sleep or he'll use it to show you he's hungry." Rose advised.

"I'll make a mental note to that. Seth you too." Jake instructed.

"Got it." Seth confirmed. Little did they know, Seth has been reading up on his baby books that he bought.

"Should I try the bottle again?" Jake asked.

Rose nodded. "Slip it into his mouth as soon as you pull your finger out."

Jake did as she said and JB sucked on the bottle, but after a few minutes, he spit it out. His face was one of disgust as he spit out the formula. They all laughed at the antics.

"Okay so we now know that Similac is not what he likes." Jake said.

Rose smiled sadly. For she knew it was really the breast milk he wanted and needed. "They say babies have an acquired taste for their mom's milk. It might be hard to find something he likes just as much or something even remotely as healthy."

Seth pointed to the Nestle Good Start brand. "Let's try that one. We have four different ones; he's got to at least like one of them. One down and three to go."

Rose nodded then emptied and cleaned the bottle. She made up another one with the new brand, handing it back to Jake once it was warm enough.

"Okay JB…Let's try this again." Jake gave him his pinky and then replaced it with the bottle.

The packed watched intently to see if he took it.

This brand did not even last as long as the first being that JB spit it out as soon he sucked on it twice.

"That would be annoying if he wasn't so cute when he spits up." Quil said as they all chuckle.

"You're right." Sam spoke up for the first time.

Seth grabbed the Gerber brand. "Okay…This is one of the most popular brands and most babies love it. Maybe JB will love it too so let's find out." He handed it over to Rose and she repeated the process of making a bottle and gave it to Jake.

"Okay JB…This is the third bottle. I hope you like this one." Jake did the same thing with his pinky and then the bottle. JB sucked on it longer than the others that the guys and Rose thought this was it. But to no avail; JB spit that one out too. He actually spit it out a little roughly and the look on his face was priceless.

Jake whined. "Oh come on JB; you gotta eat."

"He sure is picky like his mother." Embry said.

Rose sighed. "If he doesn't like the fourth one, then we'll have to shop for more. If he doesn't like those, then we may have a problem."

"Fascinating for a newborn." Carlisle commented.

Rose did the same bottle routine using the last formula and brought the bottle back to Jake.

"This one's the Enfamil and I heard it's good. Please let JB like this one." Jake pleaded as he put the bottle to his mouth. After JB latched on, everyone held their breaths. After a couple of minutes they saw JB was sucking like crazy and they blew out their breaths in relief.

"Finally! JB likes that one. Thank God because I have no idea what I would've done if he didn't." Jake looked down at him. "That's it JB…Drink up and eat your belly full."

Rosalie grinned widely.

"So it's settled; the formula is Enfamil so I'll make a note of that. I guess we could give the others away then since we won't be needing them." Seth wondered.

"I would at least keep one of them. This is his first feeding so he's sensitive, but on some days when he's a few months older and you run out, he may get desperate enough to drink one of those." Rose stated.

"Well he drank the Similac better than the others because he spat out the Gerber one like it tasted like shit." Paul recalled as they all laughed remembering the look on JB's face.

"That'll be fine. Now when he's done eating, he needs to be burped, then given a bath." Rosalie instructed.

"Now we'll see if he's as 'well-endowed' as you are Jake." Paul teased.

"Yeah since you and Leah are so sure he's packing." Quil said as he laughed.

Jake grinned. "I know he is." He then cringed at the mention of Leah's name and got sad. "My girl would've loved this. Leah would've just sat there and watch me do this. I want my girl guys…I _need _her. I can't do this without her." His eyes started to water.

Rosalie touched Jake for the first time by laying a hand on his shoulder. The cold feeling felt a little nice. Leah was her best friend so she felt his pain. "I know we'll find her okay Jake? It will be fine…I can promise you that."

Carlisle looked at his daughter with pride and joy. She really wasn't a bad person, but just not too trusting of people. He was proud of her.

"We will find her Jacob. We're all here and we're going to help you the best way we know how." Sam comforted.

"The baby is alive and healthy and that's an excellent sign Jake." Rose added.

Seth wants his sister too and couldn't wait to find her. When the truth is revealed about who took her, there was going to be hell to pay. He growled just thinking about what he would do. The others looked at him and his eyes were glowing.

"Seth…" Embry called out, but there was no answer.

"Buddy?" Quil shook him lightly.

Seth shook his head and his eyes went back to normal. "I'm fine."

"All I know is we need to find her soon because whoever dropped off the baby did not want it. They wanted Leah, but the question is why? I can feel her guys and it's not too strong. She's hurt and if we don't find her soon…"Jake trailed off sadly and brought JB closer to his chest.

"What do you mean, wanted Leah?" Rose inquired.

"I'm not too sure, but something is off. They brought the baby back so obviously it's Leah they really wanted. I'm just not sure why. I thought it was because of the warning Carlisle gave us, but as it turned out, it's not." Jake explained.

"Jake's right. Whoever did this knew exactly when we would leave the house. This was planned and I get the feeling we were being watched. They timed it perfectly. I just don't get why they would take her while she was pregnant." Sam said.

"Because she couldn't fight back. Leah is very strong and fast so she being pregnant made her weaker and more vulnerable. Plus, she would never risk hurting JB. You're right though Sam cause it was someone who did know when we were going to be out of the house." Paul confirmed. He put a hand under his chin in thought. "I know we asked the imprints already and they said no, but I don't know. But it could be Sue too or maybe Bella."

Jake's head snapped up at Bella's name. "Bella? We haven't spoken to each other in months."

"Exactly." Jared nodded. "You and her had a big fight and never reconciled remember? She feels Leah made you leave her."

Jake snorted. "I can't leave anything I never had."

"I just can't believe this. Kidnapping is so low for the names we called. Are they really capable of something like that?" Quil said. "I just think that's crazy even for _them_."

"Well jealousy and envy drives you to do crazy things, especially if you think it'll get you closer to what you want." Jared explained.

"I don't like Bella, but I doubt she has the guts to pull something off like this. Besides, she has her daughter to think about." Rosalie said.

"Renesmee is a grown woman who can make her own decisions. Don't put anything past anyone. Everyone is capable of doing something over the top." Sam added.

"All I know is if any or all of those _bitches_ had anything to do with this, they are dead. You hear me?" Jake asked as he looked around the room. The alpha persona out and about. "_There will be no mercy for whoever did this. That is not a threat, but a promise._"

Much to their surprise and the Jake's, Seth growled, responding to his alpha's words. His eyes started to glow again. His growl wasn't one of disrespect, but of acknowledgement. It was weird and when Jake and Seth stared at each other, it was like a hidden conversation was exchanged. Everyone tensed, even Carlisle and it was unnerving.

Seth growled and nodded in agreement at his alpha's words. So help him, whoever did this to his sister and Alpha Female would pay dearly. He gave one last nod and shook his head and his eyes went back to normal. He himself was puzzled and he felt a ripple going through his body.

The alpha retreated as well, but gave a salute and weak smile to his pack brothers. The last thing he wanted to do was make them uncomfortable, but the situation was dire and his mate was missing.

Jared was the first to recover. "What was that?" He voiced the words that were in everyone's heads. He looked back and forth between Seth and Jake trying to figure out what the hell happened.

"I don't know." Seth said, looking around uncertainly.

"Hmm…I've never seen anything like this before." Carlisle said in thought. Even he didn't know what just transpired.

Before anything else could be said, JB spit out his empty bottle. That caught everybody's attention and they smiled, forgetting about what happened for a while.

"May I burp him Jake?" Seth asked.

Jake's eyes lit up. "Of course." He carefully handed JB to Seth.

Seth took JB slowly and carefully. "I've been doing my homework so let's see if I get this right. Let me know okay Rosalie?"

"No problem." Rose nodded.

Seth raised JB to his left shoulder with a hand on his back. He made sure to place the bib over his shoulder just in case when JB spit up, it would be on the bib and not his clothes. He then gently patted JB's back. "How's that?"

"That's right. I hope he spits up on you. They always seem to smile like they know they puked on you and you can't do anything about it." Rose said with a chuckle.

"I don't mind him spitting especially if he burps it up. I'll be happy knowing he burped." Seth smiled and continued patting JB's back. Sure enough, a few moments later, there was a tiny little burp and a splat on the bib.

"Ewww." Quil grimaced.

"Oh quiet." Embry said and he took the bib and wiped JB's mouth. "What a good boy."

Rose grinned. "Baby puke; isn't it cute?"

"He did it on the bib though." Seth announced.

"Wow Seth, you're a natural." Jake smiled. It looked easy but JB was so small in his big arms.

"It is easy; I can give you my books to read. I bought some for my sister too." Seth's voice nearly gave out.

Everyone looked down at that. It would always come back to Leah. Nothing would be perfect until she came home.

"I know we'll get her back. There has to be something around here. Something that we're missing." Seth looked around the kitchen then at the living room.

Sam did the same, scanning everything. "We haven't finish cleaning anyway so maybe during our cleaning, we'll find something." His voice was gruff.

"Well since we have JB here, we have to make sure he's taken care of first. Leah would want that." Paul said quietly and they all looked at him, surprised. Seth in particular was growling slightly. He still couldn't stand him.

"Well now that he's fed, he needs to take a bath. The residue from the birth needs to come off." Carlisle reminded, breaking the mounting tension.

"Right…Rose will show us how to bathe him." Seth said.

"Do you have a bathing tub or do you want to use the sink? That's okay right Carlisle?" Rose asked.

"Well a bathing tub or basin will do. Seth, do you have a basin around?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes we can use the basin that's in the laundry room. Jake can you get it please?" Seth ask.

Jake nodded and left. He remembered all of the baby's things were at his and Leah's surprise house. He refused to go there without her, even though JB's things were over there. He rather use the stuff Seth got him or buy more stuff. He came back with a small round basin. "Is this good?"

"Perfect." Rose took the basin and filled it up with warm water. "Now the baby oil you have there is good, but the soap has to be very very mild."

"Oh…I think I bought some baby wash and it should be in Leah's room in the closet. It was another surprise." Seth exclaimed.

"I'll go get it." Jake rushed upstairs and came right back with the soap and also a soft washcloth, then handed them to Rose.

Rose poured the soap into the water and she stirred it a little.

"Jake? You do the honors." Seth said as he passed JB back to his father.

Jake's face melted into a soft smile at the feeling of his son in his arms, but he was so nervous. He sucked it up because he had to learn to do this.

"Now you need to keep a hand on him at all times Jacob; don't turn your back, not even for a second." Rose advised.

Jake slowly unwrapped the thin blanket from around JB's body. He also had a thick cotton cloth wrapped around his butt and genitals. He untied that too and everyone was blown away by the size of JB's penis.

"Whoa!" Jake's eyes widened in amazement.

"Jesus! Does he have a tumor?" Paul shouted.

"Wowsers! Is that normal?" Seth said with a loud laugh.

"You guys are all idiots! Is that all you guys care about?" Sam reprimanded. Although he was surprised as well, but he could control himself.

Carlisle chuckled.

"Leah bet me once that if she was a guy like the rest of us, her junk would've been like five times bigger. And since he takes after his mother, I think she was right." Jared's eyes were wide and his eyebrows raised high.

"You've got to be kidding me." Jake said exasperatedly. "Nice Jared…Just nice. He got his size from me, his father so get your facts straight."

Jared laughed. "By the age of six Jake if he keeps growing, his dick will be bigger than yours."

Everyone laughed.

"Damn! You were right Jake…JB is packing." Embry confirmed.

"Of course he is." Jake was acting like a proud papa wolf. His eyes flickered between his normal brown and black. The wolf within was so happy at it's pup's strength, size, and it knew JB would have stamina too. "I'll be happy knowing his growth comes from me anyway. Plus we have strong genes." Then his eyes widened even further. "Oh shit!"

"What?" Quil asked.

"Speaking of genes, my dad needs to know his grandson is here. Will someone please go and get him?" Jake asked.

"Of course. I'll go pick up Uncle Billy." Quil nodded then went out the door.

"Thanks cuz!" Jake then turned to Rosalie. "Now that the shock has worn off, let's do this.

"I'll go get his things." Seth said as he took off upstairs quickly. He came back within a few minutes with a one-sie, baby powder, a diaper, baby lotion, and a towel. He was so thankful for his wolf speed.

"Now…Make sure you put a little bit of baby oil in the water. Put just enough so you know his skin will come out just as soft as it went it. Then you use the mild soap; it has to be _gentle_ soap. Take the soap and rub it in the washcloth until it becomes filled with soap then you rub his arms and legs and tummy. Make sure you do everything gentle and don't put your face too close-" Rose was cut off as JB splashed some water and suds into Jared's eyes and nose.

"Because most babies like to flick water." Rose smirked.

Jared wiped his face. "So I've heard."

Jake did as he was instructed and he found that he liked doing this. Bath time would be part of his and JB's bonding time. He was still very nervous because even though JB was big for a baby, he was so light in his arms…So small. "I'm so nervous right now. Look how small he is? Is this normal for me to feel this way?"

Rose laughed. "Of course. You're a new dad."

The pack looked at Rose in awe. She seemed to be laughing a lot in the last hour she's been here.

"His arms are so smooth and soft." Jake said softly as he lathered them with the washcloth. He then rubbed his tummy and JB gurgled his delight at having his tummy rubbed. He started smacking water with his fists and it was quite the cutest thing the guys have ever seen. He was so active for a newborn, but then again, he was a full-blooded wolf baby. Jake smiled widely at his son. "You like that don't you?"

JB grinned up at him, his eyes bright and happy. He was well-fed and now he was getting a bath. He was the happiest thing on the planet right now. Jake was such in awe of his son, his first born. He was a father and he was never happier. All he needed now was to get Leah back and everything would be perfect. His smile to his son was his first real smile in weeks and the pack was so happy to see it.

Paul couldn't help but to smile too, as he saw Jake was happy for the first time in a long while. Sam was happy too for the new dad.

Seth didn't care about getting wet. He went over to the kitchen sink and played with his nephew. JB brought him such a comfort and calmness that he loved it. The aggressiveness was at bay at least for a while. "You like the water huh Little J?"

JB responded to his uncle, smiling widely at the nickname. Only his Uncle Seth could call him that. He laughed and squealed at him like a little wolf pup.

Jake beamed in pride at his son.

"He's actually really cute." Paul admitted. Who knew a baby could soften him up. Seth however, chose to ignore him.

Just then the voice of a very excited Billy was heard. "Where's my Jacob?"

"Right here dad." Jake answered back excitedly.

" I didn't mean you! I meant my grandson, Jacob!" Billy corrected.

Jake snorted. "That's what I meant dad."

Billy wheeled himself into the kitchen, Quil following close behind him. He nodded to Carlisle and Rose as they stepped aside for him to come closer.

"There's my strapping young boy! My oh my!" Billy's eyes bulged at the sight between JB's legs.

"Yeah I know…He's packing huh?" Jake beamed in pride.

"My little grandson…God Jacob…He's a handsome one. He looks just like his mother." Billy commented.

"Yeah." Jake replied softly then rinsed JB and picked him up. He then dried him carefully with the towel and wrapped him up.

"JB…there's someone I would love for you to meet." He picked him up and placed him in Billy's arms. "Meet your grandfather, Billy Black. Dad…meet your grandson, Jacob William Harry Black. Congratulations!"

Billy grinned and took JB into his arms. The little man looked up at Billy with bright eyes, much the same twinkle as his father and his grandfather's. "Wow Jake…I didn't think holding my grandson would feel this amazing." He rocked the little guy in his arms, JB cooing with more laughter with his arms reaching upward to feel Billy's face. "He's pretty active for a newborn."

"The results of two wolves. He has my eyes, but he's Leah all over." Jake said softly. Leah should be there with them. His eyes started to water again and the wolf in him began howling for it's mate. He walked over to the window and gazed outside, his eyes filled with tears. 'Where are you Lee? I miss and need you. Wherever you are…Hold on…I'm coming.'

Billy looked at his son sadly. "I know it hurts, Jake. But it won't hurt like this forever. You learn to deal."

The pack looked on sadly, staying quiet and letting the father talk to his son. Maybe that was what Jake needed at the moment.

"How dad?" Jake's voice cracked. "How can I continue to do this? Leah is my life! I can't deal with this like she's not coming back because she _is_! I can't do this without her; she's my _everything_! My son needs his mother; _I_ need her!" His shoulders started to shake and his voice trailed off.

"Easy there boy; I know how you feel. I thought the exact same things everyday for a year after we lost your mother. I went into a depression. You remember that don't you? If it wasn't for you? I don't know where I'd be today. I had to get better and remain strong for you and all of my kids." Billy reminded.

Jake shook his head. "I understand how you feel dad, but Leah is _not_ gone. I still feel her through the bond. It's just weak. If we don't find her soon…" He trailed off again.

"You know what? Drop this handsome young fella off at my place tomorrow around noon. I'll babysit for the day so you can go spend another day searching." Billy instructed. He wasn't wasting any time hijacking JB for a day so quickly.

Rose was almost jealous, _almost_, but she knew her time would come.

Jake raised an eyebrow. "You got first dibbs on watching him eh? Are you sure? I don't want to put you to too much trouble."

Billy smiled. "Positive. I want to get to know my grandson."

"Well he seems well taken with you so okay."

"So another day of searching tomorrow; I better eat something." Embry grabbed something from the fridge to munch on.

Billy looked down at JB in his arms and smiled warmly. "I think this little tyke's finally worn out."

JB's eyes were slowly growing heavier and heavier. He let out a silent yawn before laying still in his grandfather's strong arms.

"And he's a goner." Quil grinned.

"But he needs to be dressed." Seth picked up the one-sie. "I can do it." He announced as he carefully lifted JB into his arms. JB barely stirred as his uncle placed him on the blanket on the counter.

Rose went over to them and almost paused when she saw the look on Billy's face. There was no hiding the displeasure, but Jake gave her a reassuring glance so she continued forward. "Now Seth…When you're dressing him in a one-sie, do legs and then his arms. Before a one-sie even goes on, the diaper has to be put on first. Now be careful because babies tend to pee while you're changing them. Since JB is well-endowed, he might have a very far reach if he pees."

Seth grimaced. "He's asleep so maybe he won't right now. You know what? I'll make this quick because he was just fed."

Rose nodded. "You know how to put a diaper on right? How to change him?"

"Well I saw a video on it and also read some books." Seth said in excitement.

"Wow you came prepared." Rose smiled.

"Yes I did. I'm going to lotion him first." So Seth did just that. He rubbed lotion on JB's arms, hands, legs, and feet. Then he proceeded to put on the diaper. He lifted JB's legs up gently with one hand then placed the diaper underneath him with the other, making sure the side with the sticky ends was laying underneath. He then put JB's legs back down. He got the powder and sprinkled some onto his big wiener and towards his rear. He then brought the front of the diaper forward to JB's tummy while he brought the two sticky ends from the back, forward as well. Lastly, he stuck each side to their designated spaces. "Done!" Seth announced proudly and admired his work.

"Seth that was great!" Rose smiled proudly at him, then turned to Jake. "Did you get all that Jacob?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah…It does look easy."

"Now it's time to dress him." Rose took the one-sie and gave it to Jake. "Since Seth did the lotioning and put on the diaper, then you get to put on his clothes and socks."

Seth stepped aside and Jake came in his place. The others were all watching and learning. They knew they would be JB's babysitters too.

"Now babies are very soft, especially when it comes to their bones. They're very delicate and can break easily. You will have to be extra careful and gentle when putting on his clothes. Remember…Legs first." Rose gave Jake the one-sie and watched him work.

Jake's hands were shaking, but he knew he would never hurt his son. So he followed Rose's instructions carefully and it took him a while, but he finally got JB's one-sie on. He put on his socks too and then wrapped him up in his blanket.

"Perfect Jake! You and Seth did well." She turned to the others. "You guys got that?"

They all nodded.

"If I ever find out you hurt my Godson in _any _way, I'll personally see to it that you won't be able to make any sons. Got it?" Her eyes flashed.

The guys growled, but were too nervous about taking care of JB to care that it was a leech threatening them so they all just nodded. They knew how much Rose wanted a child and JB was the closest besides, Renesmee to ever getting one.

"The crib is at…I don't have the crib here so can he sleep in the bouncer?" Jake asked softly.

Rose smiled weakly. "Yes he can. You did very well Jacob."

"Thank you Rosalie…Thank you for everything. I will be calling you so stay close okay? Leah will be happy to know you were helping us." Jake smiled weakly.

"Want us to come on the run with you tomorrow?" Rose asked.

Jake nodded. "That would be great, thanks."

"No problem." Rose gave JB a small kiss on the top of his head.

"Call us if you need anything Jacob." Carlisle said as he walked out the door with Rose in tow.

Jake took a deep breath and sat down on the couch, his eyes on JB closely. He watched him for a long time like he was scared he would disappear at any moment.

Billy wheeled over to him. "Well I'll be heading back home, son. Will you be alright?" He put a hand on his shoulder. He was worried about Leah too and he hoped she was okay wherever she was.

Jake put a hand on top of his. "I'll be fine. Will you be alright? Did you take your medications today? Ate?"

Billy chuckled. "I'm fine, Jacob. You know your old man is a beast." He joked. "Call me if you need anything and I'll see you and JB tomorrow." He patted his shoulder gently, stroked JB's cheek briefly then left with Quil.

"JB's going to be asleep for a couple of hours or so until he wakes up to feed. I'll go make another bottle just in case and put it in the fridge. When he wakes up, you can just warm it up." Seth walked into the kitchen and began making the bottle. He was starting to feel a little anxious and restless. Now that he knew JB was home safe and sound, he needed to get out. Maybe he needed to do another search, but that was the plan for the next day. He placed the bottle in the fridge then went upstairs without another word. He knew what he needed, better yet…Who he needed.

The others just watched him silently, trying to figure out Seth, but had no luck. Jake's question brought him their attention. "Are you guys staying the night again or are you going home?"

"I already have some clothes here so I'll be staying. My mom knows where I'm at so I'm straight." Embry said he settled on the couch.

"Well I'll just swing by my place to get more clothes and then I'll be back." Sam said as he stood up.

"Me too. I need some more clothes as well. Hopefully, Kim won't be home. I've had about enough of her shit." Jared walked over to the door.

"You telling me. I don't know who's worse out of all three of them. You'd think that since Leah is missing that they would tone it down, but it's only gotten worse." Paul confessed.

"They're still acting up?" Jake was stunned. "What is wrong with those girls?"

They all shrugged.

Jake sighed. "I'm too tired to care right now."

"We'll be back Jacob. Embry…keep an eye on him." Jared said, sounding close to the Third's command.

"No problem." Embry saluted.

"I don't need a babysitter." Jake grumbled.

Paul shook his head with laughter. "Be back in half an hour." He, Jared, and Sam all left to go home and get a change of clothes.

Seth came out the bathroom looking refreshed and smelling nice and his wolf growled in thought of his destination. He went downstairs to check on JB and Jake and seeing them both sleep, he left.

Embry was up and watching Seth closely. He had an urge to follow him, but with the way Seth's been behaving lately, he decided against it. Only time will tell what was going with him. He went back to flipping through the channels on the TV.

**AN: So…this chapter was all about JB and how to take care of him. Rose is a great teacher huh? I wanted a chapter to be about the baby and how they needed to learn the basics of taking care of one. Leah might not be home for a while or she might. You never know so they're taking a precaution so to speak. Hope you liked this chapter. Review and tell me what you think. Thanks! **

**Just so you know, there's a pic of JB as a newborn asleep on my profile page. Keep in mind that he's a pretty big. Lol! **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry for the long delay. Have so much going on right now, but I have not forgotten my readers. It blows me away the amount of support I have for this story. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know you guys miss Leah, but please hold on a little while longer. This chapter focuses a little more on the others. I decided to give a Jake a little break from the angst, but he will be in the next chapter. The others have their own problems which you will see come into play when the real drama begins.**

**Oh and all editing done by me. No Beta here but I've tried my best. Enjoy!**

'**Thoughts'**

With the way his attitude was, Seth was on a mission. He knew if he didn't calm down soon, he would either lose it or do something stupid. His pace increased and soon he was at Raynia's door. He wondered why she hasn't questioned his frequent appearances yet? Hell he did not know why his visits to her were so frequent either. He knew there was an attraction and he liked her personality and everything else. But there was just something that beckoned him to her and he couldn't help but follow it. Plus, there was more to Raynia that he didn't know. He was so curious and he told himself he was going to watch her actions carefully.

He knocked on the door and it opened quickly. He was looking intently at the beautiful young woman before him. He wondered how in the world he ever missed her on the rez. He guess since she lived on the other side that was the reason. He found himself growling at the sight of her in a fitted, black skirt that stopped at the top of her knees and a white, long-sleeved button down blouse. Her thick legs were encased in stockings but her feet was without shoes. 'Maybe she just came home from work.' Her hair was shiny and hung at the top of her shoulders and he wanted to run his fingers through it so bad. Her bust was bursting out of her blouse and he ached to palm them. He clenched his hands to his sides and told himself over and over to calm down. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her with his actions.

Raynia smiled brightly at the sight of Seth. He looked gorgeous as always in a red vest which showed his muscles and a black cargo pants with sneakers. His aftershave smelled fantastic. She was internally nervous of being in such close proximity to him and what unnerved her even more was the serious look in his eyes as he appraised her body from head to toe in a slow manner. She could've sworn she saw his eyes glow a pretty topaz yellow, but she shrugged it off as nothing. Her body tingled just from the heat in his gaze, but a small part of her had fear. She was so intrigued with him and she liked him…A lot. She wanted to find out more about him and if he was truly interested in her. Yes he's been coming over to see her, but it could mean nothing. Hell they haven't even kissed yet, but it was her fault. She did not know if she could stand being so close to him for so long without pulling away in fear or tearing his clothes off in passion. After an eternity she spoke.

"Hi Seth!" Her voice was bright, letting him know she was indeed happy to see him.

"Hi." Seth's voice was deep, almost unrecognizable, but it sounded sexy to her ears.

Unable to stand it anymore, Raynia drew him in, giving him a hug.

Seth was surprised at the action, but he reveled in it and he growled lightly in content. He held her to him, cradling her head on his chest. It felt so good to have her in his arms and he wished she could stay there forever. She was just as soft as he remembered and he pulled her in closer. Her scent was intoxicating and he took a deep breath, inhaling that sweet pea and vanilla scent. The hint of cherry blossoms was such a nice touch and he inhaled deeply again, becoming more relaxed then he'd ever been in days. "I missed you."

Raynia almost gasped in pleasure at the warmth of Seth's arms and his words. Those were the last words she thought she would hear, especially from Seth. She wrapped her own arms around him and enjoyed the embrace. She had to admit that she missed him too and she looked forward to his visit everyday. She was just afraid to say that out loud. She was also a little tense though and was afraid of pulling away from him. "I missed you too." Her voice was soft just like that evening at _Baby's R' Us_ when they first met. She relieved him of her embrace and stepped back, but he took another one forward at the same time.

Seth was disappointed at the loss of her in his arms, but he reminded himself to just relax and give her a little time. But a part of him could not control himself as he stepped closer to her again.

Raynia nearly hesitated at the closeness. "Are you coming in?"

"Yes." Seth stepped inside and he couldn't help himself so he hugged her again, but shortly this time.

"So how are you? Pardon me, but I just came home from work not too long ago so I'm still settling in…Did a little overtime." Raynia walked into the living room, taking a seat on the couch and crossed her legs. "I love it when you drop by though." She confessed. It was not a lie, but she just wished he wouldn't hugged her so much, even though a part of her wanted it.

"I'm…" Seth hesitated. He wasn't sure how to answer her. If he was truthful, he would say angry, sad, vengeful, and just on edge. "I'm fine. Like I said I missed you." He really did miss her even though they haven't been dating too long. He did not know what it was, but Raynia Joseph called to him. He was determined to find out why. He was going to take a seat next to her, but paused. "May I?" He gestured to the place next to her. Seth was very sharp in people's actions and Raynia was not too keen on being touched much.

Raynia patted cushion beside her. "Of course." She gave him her peppy smile, not wanting him to be upset. These were her issues and she was working on them…Slowly.

Seth walked over to the couch and sat down next to her then turned to face her. He looked at her from head to toe again and again. He loved to look at her and would never get tired of it. She was so beautiful in his eyes and from the way she has been acting toward his touches, he figured she had some issues she needed to work through. He did not know exactly what, but he was curious and he intended to find out. "What have you been up to?"

"I've just been…Oh you know, the usual. Working, playing some tennis…Thinking about you." Raynia's cute cheeks flushed as she said the last words.

Seth's smile brightened and he growled internally at the news. He saw that she put her head down when she said those words so he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up to look at him. "What about me?" His voice took on a deep tone.

Raynia flushed even more and she smiled coyly. "Just that…I love your eyes. They always make me feel comfortable." She blew out a big breath, relieved at getting out some of her feelings. When she saw them glow for the first time, instead of her being scared, she was drawn to him even more. They glowed so nicely and she wanted to see that again. Even now while she was looking at him, his big brown eyes brought her the comfort and courage she needed to say what she wanted to say. "I look forward to seeing you everyday."

"Really?" Seth moved over a little closer to her. "I look forward to seeing you everyday too." His voice was still in that deep tone and he saw her shiver slightly. "You know something? We've been dating for almost a month now."

Raynia almost gulped at the close proximity and as much as she wanted it, she was a little frightened and she was trying not to skitter away from Seth's closeness. "Yeah?"

"I've decided that I want to get to know you more…A lot more." Seth's voice got even deeper and he growled out loud a little, but not loud enough for her to hear. "You have my full interest Raynia and I want to know you. I want to know what makes you Raynia. What do you think? Are you willing to be in this for the long haul?"

Raynia leaned back against the couch in surprise and took a deep breath. She was surprised at his question about being in this for the long haul. It was like he was invested in seeing where they could go. Of course she wanted to know Seth a lot more too, but it was just that she laid her heart on the line once before and it didn't go so well. Was it really worth it? 'Is he' "I…I want to be."

"But what?" Seth prompted.

"Seth…I don't have the best track record with these things." Raynia admitted.

"It doesn't matter; I want to know you. I don't have a nice track record either, but no one has been able to keep my interest for as long as you have. You're amazing and I like you." Seth confessed boldly. He was straight to the point and was not going to give up. Even though they weren't dating for long, he felt something for her. Hell he wanted her from the first moment he met her. In addition, she had this weird effect on him, but a good one. She calmed him down with just a simple look from her…A smile. Just her presence alone was enough to make him melt.

Raynia gazed at him from under her lashes shyly, not believing what she just heard. Her heart was pumping fast and she ached to move closer to him. She also loved his honesty and she knew that was hard to find in a man. Not only that, she felt such a connection to him and she didn't know what or why or how. She just knew she felt it and it was nice. "I like you too, Seth…More than you could think." She just looked so unsure.

Seth had to force himself to not grit his teeth. He blamed his alter ego for the little patience he had left. Not to mention the edginess he had from Leah's kidnapping. He growled internally, not realizing he was actually doing it.

Raynia blinked her eyes rapidly, wondering if the glows she saw in his eyes were real. She also could've sworn she heard what sounded like a growl, but she shrugged it off for now. "I know…I just…I need time okay Seth?" She gave him the strongest smile she could muster. He was so sweet and supportive and she knew she had to give her all to him. It's been a month and he's been so patient with her. She hasn't touched him intimately or even kissed him yet. She wondered why he was still speaking to her, knowing he wasn't getting any action any time soon. Men usually ran when they saw no action within two or three weeks, but Seth was still here. 'Maybe he really is different.'

Seth looked away, then sighed. He didn't know how much longer he could go on without touching her the way he wanted to. He wondered where this agitation was coming from all of a sudden. He sighed again, then turned back to her with a warm smile. "That's okay sweetie; I understand. I will do my best to wait." He stood up and pulled her to her feet, then clasped her small hands in his. His eyes roamed over her, loving the shape of her body. She had curves and he loved it. He felt he could trace his hands in a trail all over her body. "I want us to continue dating and get to know each other more. I want to know about you; I want to know about you inside." He placed a hand over her heart, showing how much he meant what he said. He felt her heart race at his touch and he inhaled her scent, causing him to growl again. His hands itched to touch her the way he craved, but he forced himself to wait.

"I want to know you too." Raynia grinned at him. Finally, someone who was willing to take the time to get to know her. It was what she always wanted. She looked at his face and it was so cute. From his curly hair that drifted over his forehead to his nose to his full lips that were kissable. She could feel the warmth that radiated from his body and she knew if she leaned into him, held him, she would feel so secure…Safe.

Seth took a chance and cupped her left cheek and he felt her shiver slightly. He liked that he had that kind of effect on her and he couldn't wait to see what his touch did to her in the long run. "Good; I'm glad to hear that." He stared deeply into her eyes.

Raynia almost hesitated, but she rested one of her small hands on top of his own. She shivered slightly again at his touch and she exhaled deeply. These feelings she had for Seth were starting to manifest in her and became deeper every second he was in her presence. "I really care a lot about you, Seth." She admitted. She wondered where her feelings came from and how they happened to developed so fast. She wondered if it was because of the unexplained connection to she felt with him.

"I care a lot about you too." Seth was mesmerized by her eyes and couldn't stop staring. Her eyes captivated him and he froze on the spot. Her eyes were such a light caramel brown, lighter than Jacob's. In fact, they reminded him of hazel eyes. Yes…her eyes were hazel. She had hazel eyes…So beautiful. They seemed to sparkle and beckon him in. "I want to kiss you."

Raynia's eyes widened at that and she almost stuttered when she spoke. "Yeah…Okay." She licked her lips nervously out of habit. Here was the big moment…A part of what she's been dreaming about at night.

Seth continued to stare into her eyes and he carefully leaned forward. He inched closer and closer until he finally reached her lips. He was careful…Almost hesitant. At first his lips whispered against hers and he heard her pulse pick up again.

Raynia wanted him to do it…She craved it. She's been waiting for a while even though she was scared and nervous like crazy. But she wanted it…Badly.

Seth brushed his lips against hers and then finally molded his lips to hers in the most breathtaking kiss ever. He kissed her gently, testing the waters a little, then the all consuming passion burned from within and the wolf within became more alive and it growled in contentment. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her closer to him, his warmth enveloping them both.

For the first time in almost a year, nothing felt wrong. She didn't feel scared; she felt safe, loved, and protected. Slowly inch by inch, she allowed herself to be molded into his arms…Into his chest, easing herself deeper into his powerful kiss.

It took all of Seth's control to not devour her on the spot and he pulled her even closer to his body. She was flushed against him with not even a millimeter between them. For the first time in a long time, he felt complete and he continued kissing her. The feelings he felt were so strong and he could've sworn he heard fireworks going off in the background and popping noisily. One of his hands start to rub up and down her back smoothly.

But that was what broke the deal. A second later, Raynia broke the kiss, breathing hard. They were too close; she was pressed up against him and he was feeling up her back. She was not ready for this yet…Not even close. "Wow!"

"Wow indeed." Seth responded and his voice was barely recognizable. It was in that deep tone the pack was used to hearing.

"Let's not move too fast okay?" Raynia's voice was a whisper and somehow though she still didn't have the strength to pull her lips completely away from his. Her heart was still pounding and her body was buzzing with the chemistry between them.

Seth took a deep breath and took one of her hands in his and placed it on his chest. "Feel what you do to me." He then pointed to his whole body's composure. "_See_ what you do to me. I know you feel what I feel…Don't you?"

Raynia gulped. He was right…Seth was absolutely right. She was just scared, but it had felt right with her last ex too. "I…I feel it Seth, but I just can't move too fast yet okay?" She pulled away to put some space between them. She wanted to kiss him again, but her fear stopped her.

Seth moved forward as she moved back but she moved again and he sighed. "Raynia I will never pressure you to do something you don't want to do. I know something is wrong though and you're not telling me what it is. But I won't pressure you into telling me until you're ready alright?" His voice was back to normal and it brought her comfort. He placed a hand on the back of her slender neck and began to rub it.

Raynia almost started to shake, but she nodded. Being rubbed like that was comforting and at the same time unnerving. It brought back bad memories. Her mother's last boyfriend meant it less as a caring gesture.

Realizing her discomfort, he pulled his hand away and looked at her carefully. "What's wrong?" That was one of the reasons Seth loved being a wolf because his senses were so much more sharper. His keen sense of sight saw her slight shake.

"I'll tell you someday, but not now."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Seth raised his hand to her again, but she flinched back and he tensed. He put his hand down and looked away. He growled involuntary, not liking the way she flinched from him. It was disconcerting to say the least. He himself wondered what the hell was going on with him too. He wondered if what happened to Jake and his wolf was now starting to happen with him. He thought about it, but he felt it wasn't possible. Only in alphas, the wolves would become active. At least he thought it was. Nevertheless he shrugged it off and stood up. "Well then…I'll be off. Some things have been going on at home with my mother and stuff so I don't know if I'll be able to see you tomorrow. I'll call you okay?" It was not a complete lie, but how could he tell her about the supernatural part of his life now? It wasn't possible.

Raynia nodded eagerly with a soft smile. Even though she had her issues, she really didn't want him to leave. Well maybe she was controversial or something. "Please do."

Seth walked over to the door with Raynia following him, then he stopped to face her. He stared at her again, especially into her eyes. "You are so pretty; I love your eyes. Do you know how pretty you are?"

Raynia blushed brightly. "You are too…Uh handsome I mean!" She giggled nervously. 'Great, now he thinks I'm a dork.'

Seth's eyes roamed over her one last time. He may only be eighteen and the youngest of the pack, but he was still a man. He knew a sexy woman when he saw one and Raynia was just that…Sexy. "One more thing?"

"Yeah?" Raynia prompted.

"You're so sexy." Seth's voice was husky and his eyes were smoldering. He growled again and his eyes glowed.

'His eyes are so pretty.' Raynia thought as she gazed into them. But her ex-boyfriend's eyes were pretty too and she knew she had to beware of the pretty ones. She gulped at the hungry look in his eyes. She would be lying if she said that look didn't have an effect on her. But she just wasn't ready. "Th-thanks Seth…You too."

Seth noticed her change in demeanor so he shook his head out of his thoughts and smiled weakly. Raynia will be a challenge, but there was just something about her. Something pulled him to her and he was going to find out. He knew he didn't imprint thank God, but he felt something. She needed him and he was willing to be there. Better yet, he felt _he _needed her. He wanted to touch her again, but thought better of it. "Enjoy the rest of your night." He said softly and he walked out the door. Despite what happened between them, he felt so good…Relaxed than he did in weeks. For a small amount of time, he was able to forget the hell him and the others were going through with the disappearance of his sister. For once, he was able to just be and not worry about anything. But it was time to get back to the real world and find his sister before he completely lost it. However, he couldn't because JB needed him and now Raynia. They were the reasons why he had not lost it yet and he hoped to God that they would continue to keep him grounded.

"Bye." Raynia watched him walk out. She cared about that man…More than she should and she was not even really sure why. Maybe it was his carefree, happy-go-lucky nature. She smiled in remembrance of their dates at IHOP. They laughed so much and every time they met up, she enjoyed herself. Maybe it was the brightness of his eyes. She did not know what or how, but she loved it. If there was anyone who could break through the protective wall she put up, it was Seth.

Sam finished packing his overnight duffle bag and placed it on the bed. He looked around in thought wondering if anything else was missing. He made sure to pack enough clothes for a week. He was glad Emily wasn't home because he really didn't feel like dealing with her bullshit, although the bond was throbbing and a part of him missed her. He missed who she used to be and he wondered if that side of her was lost forever. He sighed and slung the duffle bag over his shoulder. As he was getting ready to head out, he heard the front door close and Emily's scent hit his nostrils. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for a fight just in case there was one.

Emily came into the bedroom and froze when she saw the love of her life. She looked around the room, then back at him and saw the bag on his shoulder. She gritted her teeth in annoyance. "Where are you going?" She asked even though she knew the answer to that question already.

"What was the point in asking me when you already know?" Sam answered her question with a question.

"Why do you need a duffel bag?" Emily inquired. Sure he hasn't slept home in a few days, but now seeing him with a bag was disconcerting. She hated being alone and he did just that every night, left her alone.

"Emily…Jake needs us right now and the baby is home. Someone dropped him on the doorstep and rang the doorbell." Sam informed, watching her reaction closely.

Emily's eyes widened and she gasped. "What? Someone just left the baby there? Oh my…Is he okay?" Emily may hate Leah, but an innocent baby did not deserve to be treated like that.

"Carlisle Cullen checked him out and he's as healthy as can be. But the thought of the baby being home and not Leelee is just…" Sam trailed off. This was so hard and he hated that he did not know where Leah was.

Emily hated when he called her by that nickname. She forced herself not to growl. Even though Leah wasn't here, she still managed to wedge herself between her and Sam. Dammit…When would it end? "Well since the baby is home, then that means whoever took her only wanted her." 'Good riddance.'

"It seems like it. Jake and Seth are a mess and Embry a little too." Sam informed.

Emily knew he refrained from mentioning himself, but she could tell from his composure and the look on his face that he was effected as much as Jake and Seth. Why and how did Leah have this effect on him? It was only supposed to be her. "So you're going to leave me all alone…_Again_?"

"Like I said, Jake and Seth need me." Sam informed emotionlessly. He did not have the time or energy to deal with this shit. "You're going to be fine; you have Rachel and Kim."

Emily clenched her fists at her sides. "What about me huh? I'm your imprint and I need you too! I know you need me as well." Her voice wasn't entirely full of malice, but there was some pain and jealously in it.

Sam froze hearing those words; a part of him knew she was right. He did need her to some extent, but he was not going to let the bond run his life. Emily's true colors came out and he was not going to be sucked into her web of deceit. He did want to go to her and hold her in his arms, but all the arguments they've had flashed through his mind. Did he really want to have to go through that for the rest of his life? What about when they got Leah back? Would Emily stop her jealousy and accept Leah in his life? All of those thoughts swirled in his mind.

"Look…I just can't be around you right now. Now is not the time to be cuddling or any of the sort. Leah is missing and Jake and Seth are not handling it well. We can't lose them too so I have to be over there and will be for a week." Sam explained as he turned to walk out the door.

"Dammit Sam! Leah is gone and she still has some kind of a hold over you! What the fuck do I have to do to get you to be with me again huh? I'm so sick and tired of Leah this or Leah that!" Emily shouted in frustration.

"Leah is your fucking cousin, Emily. Have you no concern that she is missing and could possibly never come back? Her baby is _your_ family too and will be without a mother! Do you not care about that? What is wrong with you? You were never like this!" Sam asked in bewilderment.

"I wouldn't be like this if you weren't spending so much damn time over there to begin with! You're my number one but it's obvious the feeling is not mutual! There's nothing you can do Sam! Just get over it already!" Emily replied.

"Fuck you!" Sam shouted and it shocked the hell out of her. The imprint bond hurt a lot when he said it and he clutched his chest a little to sooth it. "I can't believe you would say something like that-…" He was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. When he peeked at the collar id, he saw it was Felicia and a grin lit up his face immediately.

Emily was in shock at his outburst and was glad for the shrilling sound of his cell phone. It gave her a little time to recover. She then wondered who it was that caused a smile to appear on Sam's face.

Without letting the phone ring again, he answered. "Hey!" His voice sounded like everything was fine. He turned his back to Emily and ignored her for the time being.

But Emily wasn't having nay of it. "Who's that on the phone Samuel?" She asked, using his first name. She knew he hated that.

Sam ignored her still, but she wasn't having any of it. Emily walked over to him and with all the strength she had, she turned him back to face her. "Who's that on the phone? I'm not done with you yet!"

Felicia got quiet on the other end, not expecting to hear a female voice in the background. She could only guess it to be Emily and she blew out a breath. She had no right to feel a way because Sam did not know of her feelings, plus she was his imprint. She didn't stand a chance. She just hoped she didn't ruin any chances they might have had for a reunion.

"Emily, do you mind?" Sam asked as he turned back around.

"No!" Emily responded and tried to grab the phone. "It better not be another bitch you're screwing!"

Sam did not want to give her another scar so he pushed her away lightly and went behind the couch, putting it between them. Emily was grating on his nerves and if he didn't leave soon, there was no telling what would happen. He pressed the phone back to his ear. "Give me ten minutes; I'll call you back." Then he hung up after a few seconds.

"This fighting is getting us nowhere and you're starting to piss me off. Now I am going over to Seth and Leah's to be with the guys because that's where I'm needed the most. Maybe if you changed your attitude, then I'll be here. Until then, I can't stand to be around you, much less look at you." Sam said in a strained voice. He would not deny the pull he felt, but it was so wrong. Why would the gods of his tribe choose such a selfish, careless woman for his mate? He didn't understand it and thought he never would. He turned to walk out the door again, but stiffened with Emily's departing words.

"You can screw around with whoever you want, Sam. But don't forget, we're imprinted and you're not going anywhere. I know I'm not. We're bonded for life and there's nothing you, Leah, or any other girl can do about it. So have your fun now cause in the end, it'll always be _me_. I'll always win, Sam…_Always_." Emily said with a smile as innocent as a little girl's then went into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Sam resumed his walk, pretending like Emily's words had no effect on him. She had a lot of nerve and he'd be damned if he stayed with her. He didn't care what she thought, said or about the bond. If Jacob could break it, so can he.

Paul got to his apartment and found Rachel in their bedroom. Before he stepped foot inside, he took a moment and just looked at her lovingly. They were so close, so in love, and happy. He had no idea how they ended up to where they were now. It was frustrating that a relationship can go down in flames within a few weeks. It seemed like the effort and hard work they both put into it was for nothing.

Rachel was such a beautiful girl with her long, raven black hair, her pretty, almond-shaped brown eyes, russet color skin, and pink smooth lips. He was so lucky when he first imprinted on her and even though him and Jake almost fell out because it, he never regretted it. Add to the fact that she came from a well-respected family on the rez and he couldn't have been happier. He looked forward to their times together everyday, but ever since Emily's true color's came out, she just started to change. It broke his heart that she didn't trust him and would behave like some nut job because of her jealousy of Leah. Hell…she and Leah were the most beautiful girls and all the others envied them. What made them even more attractive were their personalities and their love for life…Their sincerity and their love for helping people. They were so friendly with each other and to others and enjoyed hanging out together. He often wondered how the hell things changed so fast. Leah was mated to her brother and she made him happy, but Rachel couldn't see that. It was ridiculous and now with Leah's disappearance, it got worse. Instead of her being supportive or anything, she was actually relieved, thinking he wasn't going to be there as much anymore. Without further thinking, he silently came into the room and starting looking for clothes to pack.

Rachel looked up at Paul when he came in and her eyes widened in annoyance when he didn't even acknowledge her. Paul was her imprint and was supposed to do whatever she wanted. That was just the way it went, but lately he's been rebelling and talking back and doing whatever he wanted without her consent and it pissed her off. She deserved better treatment than this. One would think that the disappearance of every man's wet dream would've made things better, but it didn't. Paul spent even less time with her. Yeah Leah was their Alpha Female or whatever, but she didn't own Paul, Rachel did. Emily was right in saying she hoped they never found Leah.

"I don't even have to ask where you're going then." Rachel started when Paul placed his duffle bag on the bed.

"Then don't ask." Paul said curtly, while digging through his dresser and pulling out some shorts and shirts.

"How long this time? A week? A month? Year? Forever?" Rachel asked in annoyance, but there was a hint of fear. She hoped he never left her. Rachel gave up her whole life to stay here with him and if he left, she would literally lose it.

Paul sighed. "For as long as I can; until we get Leah back."

Everything always came back to her. Dammit…What did Leah have that she didn't? Paul used to hate her, at least that was the impression he gave off, but they never got along well so why all of a sudden he cared? "_We_? You're included in that? Really? You hated Leah so what's with the sudden turn around? Why all of a sudden you care?"

Paul froze in his packing; that was the least thing he expected from Rachel. And the funny was, her voice was normal like they were having a civil conversation. His mind flashed back to his and Seth's confrontation outside when Seth first accused him of not caring as well. Was he really that bad? Was his behavior really so rude? The last thing he wanted to give off was that he didn't care. Paul wasn't used feeling affection from others. The pack was the only family he had.

"I always cared." He admitted.

"Since when?" Rachel probed.

"Since the very beginning." Paul answered.

"Yeah well you could've fooled me." Rachel closed her book and smiled weakly. "What's da matter Paul? Are you trying to prove something? Wanna play the hero? I don't even know why you bother or why you're pretending to care? You never did in the first place. What makes you think that you doing this…" Rachel gestured to the packing. "will change things? The last thing she will remember of you were the harsh treatment you gave her and you enjoyed it too. You enjoyed taunting her and making her life miserable, making people think she was no good. Hell you supported Sam when he left her." Rachel took great joy in seeing the pain and anger on Paul's face. It served him right because he was being fake and wasting his time.

"Shut up!" Paul shouted as he whirled around to face her. She said the most disgusting things sometimes, even though deep down he knew they were true. Some of those things hit a little too close to home.

Rachel clamped her mouth shout when she saw the tremors of his body. The last thing she wanted to do was make him phase and scar her like Sam did Emily.

"I respect Leah! I never hated her and if I did, I would've said so! Leah was tough and could handle whatever I threw at her. I pushed and she pushed back! We had an understanding that noone else understood. I doubt you'll get that cause you're such an airhead. You're so easily manipulated and controlled. No wonder Emily chose you to vent to cause she realized what an easy target you are." Paul threw out. He was not going to stand for this shit…Not tonight.

Rachel gritted her teeth and steeled herself to stay quiet. Her blood was burning in a rage and she wanted to break something. Hell she had the blood of a wolf and she often wondered why Leah phased and she didn't. One thing she hated and Leah upped her in. Yes they were evenly matched in beauty, wits, and brains, but Leah beat her when she phased.

"Fuck you Paul! That's why she's never coming back! So you can try to convince yourself all you want about how much you really care cause it won't change a damn thing! You already made an impression and that doesn't change overnight." Rachel informed.

Paul's eyes widened. What did she mean by that? "How do you know she's never coming back? Do you know something?"

Rachel was aghast. "Hell no! I meant that if she was, don't you think she would've been found by now? It's been weeks, almost close to a month and you can't find her. What makes you think she'll be found now? She's dead and gone and it's time you guys realize that and get back to your lives." She got up to leave, but Paul stopped her.

"I can't believe the words that just came out of your mouth. You and Leah were so close and now look at you. You're so cold-hearted to say those things and you don't even care what her disappearance is doing to Jacob. Jacob, your little brother whom you claim to adore so much and would do anything for. She's his life and you think her not coming back is going to be good for him? Jake is a train wreck and the only thing keeping him from losing it is the appearance of his son. Oh but you didn't know that did you? That was an even worse feeling cause it really does seem like she's dead, but we're not going to give up. Leah's out there somewhere and I know whoever took her slipped up. It's only a matter of time before we find a clue. When we find out who did this, there is going to be hell to pay so mark my words." Paul finished with his warning as he zipped up his duffle bag and left leaving Rachel in shock.

Rachel forgot all about her little brother. She was so wrapped up in her own feelings that Jacob never once crossed her mind. Jacob must be so scared and horrified right now. She sat on the bed and put a hand to her mouth. She didn't like Leah, but she knew how much she made her brother happy. Hell the whole rez was a buzz about it so she knew for a fact her baby bro would go insane if they never found her. Then what would her father do? What would she do without her brother? Those were the last thoughts in her head before she turned off the bedroom light and went to bed.

**AN: Well another chapter finally done! Yes I know my females in this story are bitches, except for Raynia of course. Lol! We got to see what was going on in the imprints' heads. Yeah I know we're missing Kim and Jared, but don't worry. They'll be in the next chapter. So...what do you guys think? Seth and Raynia are moving along, albeit slowly. What do you think the connection is there? What's up with her past? Emily is still bitching as usual huh? Do you think she'll ever learn? What will Sam do? You can see that he still loves her, but now there's the lovely Felicia to consider. It's like him and Leah all over again, but different this time. Oh and let's not forget about Rachel. Paul sure gave her some things to think about. Rachel gave him some words too. Do you think she was right? So review and let me know what you guys have on your minds. I love hearing them. Thanks! **


	6. Chapter 6

'**Thoughts' **

Jared zipped up his backpack and put it on, getting ready to leave. He was in luck because when he came home, Kim wasn't there. He's been home for half an hour now and there was still no sign of her and he hoped she didn't come home until after he left. He ventured into the kitchen to fix himself a quick sandwich of turkey deli, mayo, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. As he was about to sit and eat, he heard the door slam so he paused. 'Fuck! I thought I had a little more time.'

Kim stepped into the kitchen, anticipating the sight of her wolf. When she pulled up in the driveway and saw his car outside, she was so happy. She thought he was coming back home to her to stay. She hurriedly parked and gathered her things and rushed into the house. Without thinking twice, she rushed over to him and hugged his five foot nine frame tightly like she never wanted to let him go. "Jared! Oh baby!"

Jared stiffened in her embrace, his appetite long forgotten. He was surprised at this sudden happiness, but he chose not to dwell on it. It's been a while since he even hugged her, let alone touched her. He couldn't help but inhale her scent and the imprint bond throbbed, reminding him of their connection and the love he had for her. Despite all the fighting, he still had feelings for her. He knew feelings were not a switch; they couldn't be turned on and off when he wanted them to. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her as best as he could and savored the moment. He knew once he told her of his overnight plans, she would blow a fuse.

Kim's smiled widened even further in excitement when she felt Jared's arms around her. "I've missed this." She sighed dreamily.

Much to Jared's surprise, he missed this too, but he wouldn't dare say that out loud. He knew if he gave in and then once his announcement of his overnight plans hit her, the magic would be broken. He just smiled weakly in response and basked in the moment.

Kim let go after what felt like an eternity and stepped back to appraise her wolf. Jared still looked as handsome as ever with his short cropped hair, chiseled facial features and juicy lips. It was then she noticed the backpack on his shoulder and her mood took a downturn. But then again, the backpack could mean that he brought over his clothes and was staying. She put on a bright smile and headed to the fridge. "So…I'm going to cook us a wonderful dinner and we'll sit down on the patio like we used to and eat under the stars. What do you say baby?"

Jared watched her from the corner of his eyes and spoke to her for the first time since she came in. "I won't have any time; I've got to leave in a minute."

Kim froze mid-step to the stove. "You're leaving?"

Jared nodded.

"But you just got back." Kim replied incredulously.

"Yes I know and I would love to sit and eat with you, but I only came back to grab some clothes and leave again." Jared informed.

"Leave? Again? But why?" Kim missed him and despite all of the issues they were having, she never wanted him to leave. She loved Jared for so long and when he finally paid attention to her, she was ecstatic. She wouldn't dream of letting him go after all this time. She resumed her walk to the stove and began lighting the burners.

Jared sighed. 'Here we go.' "Kim…Leah is still missing and we're going to start another search again. You probably heard already that the baby is home with Jake and despite him having his father and us, JB needs his mother. So I'm going to be staying over at Leah's a while longer until we find her and bring our Alpha Female home."

Without warning, Kim banged a pot on the stove, _hard_. "This is my first time seeing you home in ages and you're telling me you're not staying? Really? Really Jared! What is it about Leah that has you so whipped that you can't even stay home for an hour and spend time with me? Did she fuck you? Huh?" She shouted. She couldn't believe this. Even though Leah was gone, she still managed to find her way into the middle of their relationship.

Jared almost flinched, but instead, he got angry. Kim was usually so quiet and his mother always told him it was the quiet ones to look out for. What was that saying? 'Silent but deadly.' "No, I am not _fucking_ her, nor have I ever did, and never will! What the fuck is wrong with you? Leah is missing and her baby is home without her. How would you feel if the tables were turned? Huh? The pack and I would be bending over backwards looking for you! There are no favorites here; everyone is treated and loved equally."

"Yeah well you have a hard time showing it! You hardly know her so what does you having to help find her has to do with anything?" Kim asked blatantly. From what she knew, Jared never spoke more than three words to Leah. Even when she was with Sam, Jared and her were hardly in the same orbit. She didn't understand why he had to put in as much effort as the others.

"You've got be kidding me! She's my alpha's mate, Kim! We protect what is our own and every imprint or mate falls under that category. Embry, Quil, Jacob, and Seth hardly know you, but they never complained or said anything about you. They would help me look for you and put in the same amount of effort, perhaps even more, if you were the one missing! Leah is not even the problem here…_You_ are!" Jared announced with a soft growl. He was so sick and tired of this crap. The bond throbbed painfully and he needed to get away from her. He was fighting with himself to not phase in the house.

"I am not and will never be the problem. The problem is and always will be Leah as long as she is in the picture. She never did anything for me and I don't know her so I don't care what happens to her." Kim began with a flick of her wrist. "But I _care_ when she starts spending so much time with a man that doesn't belong to her…_My_ man. That's what my problem is and you refuse to see that." Kim's voice was weirdly normal…Like she was having a normal conversation with him. She smiled condescendingly and proceeded to cook. "I, for one, am happy she's gone and would prefer it that way. I think the world would be a better place without her. She's also a woman who can be replaced. Jacob will get over it and move on in time. Who knows? Maybe he'll even find a better mother suited for the baby."

Jared could only look at her stunned. It was like she didn't even care about the baby or the impact on the pack as a whole if Leah was never found. He couldn't believe those words came out of her mouth. What happened to the shy, soft-spoken, adorable Kim? "Either you're possessed, crazy, or just plain stupid. You've failed to realize that you are the one pushing me away and the more you push, the further away I go. And you know what? I am begging you to please continue giving me reasons to stay away from you. Keep pushing because I am seeing you for the real person you are and when I _break_ this bond, you'll have no ties to me whatsoever. So enjoy _my_ house, _my_ car, my _everything_ cause when we're done, you get _nothing_. You're going to go back as the nobody you were before I ever acknowledged you." He growled out and his eyes flashed quickly. The room was tense, like static electricity was simmering in the air.

Kim pressed her lips together tightly, trying to hold back the words on her tongue. No matter what she said, she couldn't deny those comments. Oh but it hit a damn nerve though and she was seething. The audacity of him to throw that in her face. "Fuck you! You think you're all that and a bag of chips? Oh please…I can do better and I will. Try me Jared…"

Jared was already heading out the door while she was screaming. He could care less right now about her feelings. He was so tired of the drama and he thought Kim of all people would understand. She was always so supportive of him and a part of him wanted to go back to her and get on his knees and apologize. But he continued walking forward, willing himself to move. He knew in the long run, things would work out. Once they got Leah home, they would all have one big chat and settle everything. That had to be the imprint side talking; he had to be optimistic and positive. Besides, a couple must go through rough times to end up stronger right? That was what Jared told himself over and over on the way back to Seth and Leah's place.

Jake and Embry were just tending to JB when Sam, Jared, and Paul walked in the house together, their shoulders tense and the anger was radiating off of them in waves. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out what or better yet, who got them mad. He sighed, feeling sad for his brothers. He never went through this with Nessie and he thanked God she was not like them. He wondered what the guys would do once Leah came home. What were some of their solutions? Would they even have the strength to leave their imprints when the time came?

"I could feel the tension even from outside. What's going on?" Quil asked as he ventured inside the house and faced the trio. He was just coming from patrol when he felt something hot in the air and he immediately knew it was his brothers.

"Isn't it obvious?" Embry asked as he took a seat on the sofa. "They're the only ones who have girlfriends to go through and they're all feeling the same way after leaving their homes."

"Ahhh…they're at it again huh?" Quil shook his head in disbelief.

The trio said nothing as they set down the overnight bags and made themselves comfortable in the living room.

Jake was rocking JB in his arms to sleep and then placed him in his bouncer. He was getting used to being a dad and it felt great. The soft feel of his son's body brought him the comfort he needed and helped him sleep better, especially when he was right under the crook of his arm. "I'm sure they will come around eventually." He was too emotionally and mentally drained to be angry at them. His sole focus was finding his girl and the mother of his son.

"I gave Rachel something to think about though. You might be hearing from her soon, Jake." Paul informed as he laid himself out on the floor.

Sam and Jared stayed silent, not wanting to rehash the nightmare of their imprints. They had enough for one day to last them a lifetime.

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" He hasn't seen or heard from Rachel in days and he wondered if she was avoiding him. Normally she was the first one to give him comfort whenever he was upset. His sister had the tendency to baby him sometimes even though he hated it because she would do it in front of company, but secretly, he loved it. Hell he was spoiled.

"Yeah she was being hardheaded about me leaving and saying Leah this and that but shut up when I reminded her about you." Paul answered. He hoped he somehow got through to her and she would come around. He didn't know how much more of her attitude he could take. He already had a short temper as it was.

Jake shrugged. After what he's been hearing about Rachel's behavior about Leah, he could care less whether she came around or not. His main focus was in finding out where Leah was being held. Before the guys came over, he was doing some thinking and he thought they needed to look around the house again. There must be something the kidnapper left behind. There must be a clue somewhere…On the floor, between the sofas, in the garbage, under the rugs…_Somewhere_. They couldn't be that clean and it had to be more than one person. Someone had to be on the lookout while someone carried her or something. Whatever the case, they needed to search harder.

"No offence, but I don't care to talk about them right now. I just want my best friend back so let's form a plan so we can carry it out in the morning." Embry said as he gathered some maps of the woods.

"None taken." Jared answered as he went over to Embry to look at the maps.

"Any idea where to start?" Sam asked.

"Well I've been doing some thinking…Leah was kidnapped from here. The place was a mess when we came home so that means there was a struggle. Knowing Leah, she had to have left a clue or maybe made one of the kidnappers drop something. Leah's smart that way. I say we turn this whole place upside down looking for something, anything that we might find that may look out of the ordinary. Leah is very unique and different so her taste would contrast a whole lot than someone else's." Jake paused.

"Hmmm…You came to the decision that there are more than one kidnapper correct?" Sam asked as he place a hand on his chin in thought.

"Exactly. This house is in a residential area, not in the woods. So whoever took Leah had someone or someones outside keeping an eye out. And I know for a fact, there were more than one person in this house. Leah was very big and strong for a pregnant woman. It would take two or maybe even three people to carry her." Jake explained.

"Yeah, but remember we're not normal and neither is Leah or her kidnappers. You know our supernatural ability comes with strength. So it still could be one person." Quil interjected.

"Still I doubt only one person did this. This was carefully well thought out and organized. The timing was too perfect which indicates to me that we were being watched for a long time." Paul said softly.

"What I don't understand is why the hell didn't we pick up on something? Why the fuck weren't we able to catch a scent?" Seth asked with a growl as he came through the door. The pack looked up at him and there were sudden intakes of breath at the sight of him. Seth's physique was different from how he normally was. He was taller, passing the heights of Quil, Jared, and Embry, and stopping at Paul's nose. He was bulkier, muscular with wider, broader shoulders that were ready to burst from his shirt. His hair was slightly longer with curly tendrils stuck to his forehead and his skin was a tad bit darker. He still had the same russet color, but it was a more bolder color. What the fuck?

The pack didn't know how the heck to answer him since they were stunned by his appearance.

"What?" Seth asked as he looked at all of them. His voice was even deeper and his eyes glowed.

Jake was the first to recover being that he recognized the signs. He should've been able to catch what was happening from the beginning, but he was so caught up in other things that he failed to notice the changes in his brother. The alpha in him growled in pride that it's brother was coming out. He wondered if he should say anything or just let it come naturally. Seth needed to learn about this on his own so he made a decision. The human side of him wanted to do something, but the wolf, the teacher and leader disagreed. '_The training wheels must come off at some point. It's time for the pup to grow and learn things on his own. He must become his own man and make a name for himself. I know it will be hard, but it needs to be done._' That was what the alpha was telling him so he refrained from saying anything.

He looked toward the others and shook his head, telling them not to say anything. The others nodded, listening to their leader. They trusted Jacob and him saying no was for a reason.

"Nothing…You look a little worse for wear." Jake said as he appraised Seth's clothes. They were tattered and torn almost everywhere and there was dried blood from scratches and bruises that were already healed. "What happened to you and where did you go?" He was concerned; he knew the extent of aggressiveness their wolves had and even though everyone was different, he wouldn't put anything past their alter-egos. He was the alpha and he was ridiculous when his wolf was coming out so he could only imagine how the others would be.

Seth looked at Jake, identifying the alpha undertones in the words so he answered without hesitation. Not that he had a problem with it to begin with. "I was out searching when I ran across two vamps. I fought them and won obviously."

"What!" Embry jumped up from his spot. He knew Leah would have their heads if she ever found out about this. Seth was the youngest and always the one looked after. Hearing he went out on his own was unnerving.

"Exactly what I said." Seth replied and growled.

"What were you thinking? You know you're not supposed to venture out on your own. You could've been hurt or worse. You know better than that Seth." Sam lectured with a slight growl.

"Yes you do and you know your sister would catch a case if she ever found out what you did. That was irresponsible of you. _Never_ go off on your own." Quil said seriously with the Beta undertones. He took his Beta role to a whole new level and that was one of the rules he reiterated over and over when he took the role.

Jake just watched and heard the exchanges, listening to what was being said and how. He cared about Seth; hell he was Leah's brother and it was his duty to look after him, especially now that Leah wasn't around. He wanted to say something, but the wolf in him stopped him because when he glanced at Seth again, he knew anything else said would set him off.

Paul stayed quiet, not adding anything. Him and Seth were already on shaky ground and he was not going to make things worst. He just continued looking at some of the maps Jared handed to him.

Seth clenched his fists on each side of his body and he was literally shaking. He hated when the pack treated him like a baby. Fuck…he was just as strong as them and could do what they could too. He hated it when they spoke to him like he was a child. He had enough of that from his sister sometimes and he didn't need it from them. They were not his fucking father. "Shut…Up!" He said quietly, but there was an edge to his voice. It was unrecognizable. "I am tired of you guys talking to me and treating me like a child. I'm an adult now dammit and can phase just like the rest of you!" He roared, shocking the hell out of them, except Jake.

Whoa…This was something new. If they were normal, they would've jumped just from the sheer power of his voice. Before anything else was said, Jake moved over to Seth quickly and placed a hand on his shoulder. The blackness of his eyes was visible indicating the alpha was out. "_Calm down my brother._" The alpha didn't forget that the disappearance of it's mate was having a major effect on Seth too since they're siblings. He wondered if it was that that triggered his wolf or if it was something else. A part of him felt it was too early for his wolf to be coming out since he was the youngest. However, age sometimes had no relevancy in certain cases and this seemed like one.

Feeling the comfort of his alpha calmed Seth down immediately and the shaking stopped, but his fists were still clenched. His eyes glowed and it seemed as if there were only the two of them in the room for a moment. A silent communication was going on and during that, Seth's fist unclenched.

The others could only look on in amazement. There was a connection being made and if they didn't know better, they might think it was some kind of love thing going on.

Quil chuckled. "What a bromance."

Sam elbowed him sharply, not finding the situation funny, but from the looks on the others' faces, it was in a way.

Seth nodded to Jake and went upstairs, taking his sleeping nephew with him. JB brought him the same comfort he did his dad and for the past couple of nights, all three of them slept in the same bed.

After Seth and JB disappeared from sight, Jake turned to face the others, his eyes back to normal and he took a seat on the sofa. He sighed and palmed his face. "First Leah's disappearance and now Seth. Oh why did his wolf decide to come out _now_?"

The guys' eyes widened in comprehension and agreed.

"No wonder he almost took Paul's head off and growling all the time and stuff." Quil voice out.

"And we were so slow to catch it." Embry added.

"But he wasn't as expressive and his behavior was not like that either. He was actually very subtle in the beginning." Sam remembered.

"Yeah I remember Leah telling me she would hear him growling all the time and staring off into space. The signs were all there and we missed it; hell _I _missed it." Jake's face was worried. It was bad enough he was almost close to insanity because of his missing mate and now he had to deal with a close to volatile wolf. It was beginning to be a bit much and he needed to focus, but that was going to be hard.

"That means his wolf became active before Leah's kidnapping and _that_ was what made it manifest then. He hasn't integrated with it though so I think we're going to need to be prepared to deal with him. Until then, he's going to be out of control." Jake said in warning. "You know what? We're going to give him his space, but still keep an eye on him.

"I wonder where he disappears to." Embry inquired.

"You think maybe he has a girl?" Jared asked.

"Come to think of it, it was my wolf that made me realize Leah was the right one for me. What if his did with a girl? If he has one…" Jake replied.

"But if Seth has a girl, he would've said something…Right?" Quil asked unsure as he looked at Jake. Seth was not one to keep secrets. Add to the fact that he loved and trusted Jake more than the others and if they didn't know anything, then surely Jake did.

But Jake shook his head, meaning he didn't. "He hasn't said anything and if he does, I wonder why?"

"He'll tell us when he's ready." Paul said quietly and sadly, making the others look at him. He was looking up the stairs in the direction Seth had gone. His mind flashed over and over that night in the yard when he almost hit him. He was so sad that it came to that and if he could've turn back time to behave and treat Leah better, he would. He never thought that his actions towards Leah had such an effect on him.

"Don't worry, he'll come around." Jared said in comfort.

"I hope so." Paul replied sadly.

Jake stood up, ready to do something. He did not want to wait until the morning to look. "Let's turn this place upside down looking for clues. I don't want to wait until morning. The sooner we find something, the sooner we can find Leah. Tear this place up and don't leave an inch of space unsearched. You understand?" Jake asked, his voice hard as steel. Enough of the moping and crying and sadness. He had a job to do and that was finding his mate and bringing her home.

The pack nodded and went straight to work.

"Each of you take a different section of the living room. Search the same place twice, three times if you have to. I want a second pair of eyes searching the same place after any of you have moved on. For example, Jared, even though Embry looked through the couch, look again. You may see something he was not able to see." Jake advised.

They nodded again. Jake was grateful JB was asleep and Seth was with him. His son was with his uncle and Seth needed to be alone for a little bit so they were good to go downstairs.

"We are not leaving this house until we find something." Jake announced with a fist closed tightly and shaking. Hell was going to break loose once they find the culprits.

Elsewhere, a bruised and battered body was laying down on her back with her hands chained to a post. It was very dark and the only sound that could be heard was the struggling of breaths being inhaled and exhaled. There was a lot of dried blood surrounding her from her torso down to her legs. She was weak, dehydrated and her body ached all over. Where was once a huge bulge in her mid-section, was now flat with a slight bump. A huge gash was near her pelvic bone and the body was as still as a statue. Any movement caused her pain and she would cry out, making her get punished. She closed her eyes for a second and whispered the one name she did every second she was held captive. "Jake."

**AN: Yes I know it's been a while. Well what can I say except that real life needed special attention. Just want to let you all know I will be going on vacation the ending of next month so updates will be slow since I will be making preparations. But I will try to get out at least two to three more chapters before I leave. Oh and for those of you reading "Torn," hopefully I should have that done before I leave. We've got about two or three chapters left so look out for an update soon. **

**Now on to this chapter. So what did you guys think? You got to see Jared and Kim's issues. Did you like how Jared handled Kim? We finally know Seth's wolf is out and that's what's been causing his erratic behavior. Don't think all is well though, he'll only get worse. As long as his wolf and him are not integrated, Seth won't be happy-go-lucky for a long time. Oh and I'll give you a hint…Jake won't be the only one raising hell once they find out who took Leah. Oh and did you guys like the little surprise at the end? I know I said I wasn't going to write anything from Leah's POV, but I couldn't help. I hope you liked the little peak. Where do you think she is? Review! **


	7. Chapter 7

Each of the guys had a section of the house, searching through and then throwing things here, there, and everywhere. Embry and Paul searched for clues in the kitchen, Sam and Quil were in the living room, while Jake, Seth, and Jared were in the dining room.

"Wait a minute…have any of you eaten any of the snacks from the cupboards since Leah disappeared?" Paul asked as he looked inside the cupboards that were usually full of snacks and found them nearly empty.

Every shook their heads.

I don't recall anyone snacking on anything. In fact, we haven't had much of an appetite lately." Jake inquired.

"Not only that, Leah and I always made sure to stack the cupboards full of food, given our huge appetite." Seth added.

"Well it looks like our kidnappers had some snacks." Embry said as he peered into the back of the garbage area and found lots of Doritos bags, cookie containers, and candy wrappings in a pile.

"Looks like their aim was pretty bad too cause not one of the garbage landed in the trash." Sam said.

"But wait a minute…They attempted to throw their garbage in the trash, but they still trash my fucking house?" Seth said with a growl.

"Well it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know Leah put up a fight. Even if they never wanted to result in violence, they still did cause Leah would never be kidnapped willingly." Jake said with a closed fist, remembering the blood on the doornob.

"So those bastards had the audacity to eat our food while Leah was what? Unconscious?" Jared asked angrily. "Seriously?"

"Who knows? They probably made her watch." Sam answered quietly.

"Well its obvious that that's our first clue. We haven't been eating much since Leah was gone and we never did a full cleaning. We've had takeout for the past weeks or Esme would send food over for us in her glass plates. We've always thrown our pizza boxes outside in the drum cause we know they wouldn't fit in the trash bin." Quil said in thought.

Not only that, but even though Jake, Seth, and Jared knew how to cook, what was the point? They weren't hungry much and the need and feel for food was low. And because they would be out searching, Esme would always have food waiting at her house for them, even though she didn't have to, but that was just they way she was. The guys didn't trust them fully because of their kind, but Esme have always been nice to them and the Cullens have been very helpful in the search and also surprisingly patient when Seth or Jake would lose their temper and take it out on them.

"So whoever took Leah is human." Sam confirmed.

"Humans with supernatural abilities or humans who had help from supernatural beings. Our life is anything but normal so I wouldn't be surprised if there are other supernatural beings out there." Embry spoke.

"I agree, but how in the world would they know about Leah?" Seth asked.

"I just have a feeling that someone we know is involved in this." Paul said with a hand on his chin in thought.

"Yeah, but who? Everyone we know is suspect and they've been asked and they've all denied knowing or doing anything." Jared replied.

"They could deny it all they want, but someone or all are lying. Paul could be on to something and I believe this was an inside job. Now my instincts are telling me that there is a clue here somewhere. We just have to find it and once we do, we'll know everything." Jake added.

Seth closes his eyes in deep thought, his mind flashing to images of all the suspects. He paused on each one and watch their movements, their facial expressions, everything. One would think that if you knew people for a certain amount of time, he would be able to read them well, but he couldn't. It was so unnerving and he wondered if he ever really knew the people in his life at all. At one point, he even thought of his pack brothers as suspects, but he brushed the thought off just as quickly. It was the paranoia of his wolf talking and they were all together when Leah was kidnapped. He also doubt they would've hired other people to de their dirty work because his brothers' and Leah's relationship improved greatly over the last couple of months.

Quil watched Seth quietly, waiting for any sudden moves. Since Seth's wolf been out, and after what happened with Paul, all of them have been on the lookout on Seth. "Are you okay Seth?" He asked softly, yet firmly. The Beta in him not letting his voice get too soft.

Seth opened his eyes and they were flickering between his wolf's colors and the human one. "I'm fine." There went that deep voice again and the guys' shoulders tensed at once.

Seth blinked once, twice, three times and then his eyes were back to normal.

"Thought you zoned out for a little while there Seth." Jake said weakly.

"I did…My mind was going somewhere I didn't want it to go." Seth admitted.

Paul looked at Seth worriedly. They still haven't said a word to each other since Seth came home. Hell he couldn't even be in close proximity without hearing a growl or snarl directed at him. His instinct was to growl right back, but he didn't want to start a fight and he knew part of Seth's treatment towards him was his own fault. He just hoped Leah was found soon so he could formally fix and apologize to both her and Seth.

Sam raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He continued looking through bookshelves and the cabinets.

"I have an idea." Embry announced, the tension disappearing.

"What?" Paul asked.

"I say we take these cookie containers and the Doritos bags to the vamp doc. He could maybe check for fingerprints or DNA or maybe find something else entirely. We could get a lead and then follow it." Embry answered brightly. He couldn't get a scent since the garbage is over two weeks old, but fingerprints and other DNA lasts much longer.

"This isn't an episode of Law and Order: SVU." Paul replied.

Jake put up his hand to pause Paul and then turned to his best friend. He smiled weakly and spoke. "Hmm…That does not sound like a bad idea. Carlisle has many advanced equipment so maybe he will find something. Good thinking Em." Jake smiled a little more brightly this time.

Sam rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe we'll find more than a lead. I may not trust those vampires, but the leader is a smart man and he would know what to look for. We will definitely find out something. I still don't trust them though." He confessed, not letting his wolf's natural instincts against their sworn enemy go. They may have teamed up in the past, but the fact remains, they're still vampires and he would never fully trust them.

"I understand cause I feel the same way Sam, but Embry does have a good idea and the Cullens forever owe us anyway. I say we collect." Jared said, surprising them. His attitude wasn't bad either. He spoke like it was normal to just over there and demand his needs be met.

"Well then let's to it." Seth said hurriedly.

"Before we even do that…" Quil paused. "Do you have any gloves laying around somewhere or something we cold use to put the garbage in? If we're really going to do an imitation of Law and Order, we might as well follow proper procedures." He said seriously, but with a smirk.

"You're right. Never touch the evidence cause it could be contaminated with our fingerprints instead." Paul said.

"Exactly." Sam smirked.

Seth hurriedly grabbed a dish towel from inside the closet and also a garbage bag from the cupboards under the sink. "Here you go; just put it in here." He said to Embry as he gave him the stuff.

"I still say we search the house first just in case we find something. Maybe if we do, then we won't need Carlisle." Jake said. His heart was pounding in relief at Embry's thought. They would finally get somewhere if Carlisle found something. He wouldn't get his hopes up though, but he would still have a little faith Carlisle would find something.

The guys all nodded and continued searching, throwing various items out of the way after they've been inspected.

Elsewhere, naked, still tied up, bloodied, weak, dehydrated, bruised and battered was Leah. Her breathing was labored and it hurt to even move her head in another direction. She kept calling out for Jake, her voice and face in a delirious state. "Jake…"

A figure walked into the room and observed the form on the floor. The figure shook it's head, hating to see the condition of Leah. But what could it do? It had no choice but to listen to orders. The smell in the room was so bad and it wanted to at least clean her, but couldn't. All the figure was ordered to do was to give her a little bit of water to drink and a light piece of loaf to eat in order to keep her strength up.

"Such a beautiful creature…If only she was a good girl, then maybe she wouldn't look like she looks now." A voice said, interrupting the occupant's silent musings.

"She needs help…She can't stay like this for too long. Her healing is very slow and every time she's healed, she gets beat up again. This is too much…She hasn't done anything to you or the others. Why?" The first figure replied.

"What do you mean 'why?' If she's healed then she'll be strong and try to get away." The second figured chuckled. "Not that she'd get very far anyway. I have to admit…She's a strong one."

"She keeps calling out for Jake. If it's not his name, then it's for Seth." The first figure informed.

"Ahh…her alpha or mate or whatever you want to call it and her brother. That's who she's calling out for, but they can't hear you now can they Leah?" The second figure walked over to her like a stalker and yanked her chin up to face it roughly. "You can keep calling out for them all you want, but they'll never find you. You won't ever see them, your brothers, or your son _ever_ again."

Hearing about her son was what made her go off and she struggled with all of her might to break free. "No!"

The second figured laughed at her vain attempt in getting loose. "You're so full of spunk…Feisty. I love that in a woman."

"Leave her alone…please." The first figured called out, but stopped in fear when the second one looked at her firmly.

"Shut up or else you're going to look like her too! I don't know why you're even here to begin with." The second figure responded as he pushed Leah back onto the ground hard.

Leah fell back with a scream of pain and the first figure ran over to her quickly to help. Before she got too close, she was pulled back roughly by her arm. "Do not cross me. If you do, you'll end up like her." The mysterious being squeezed the figure so hard, that it winced in pain.

The first figure did not repply and tended to Leah, placing her head of top of it's lap. It took a bowl of water that was placed there earlier and wet a piece of it's garment with to wipe Leah's forehead. "It's going to be okay soon."

Leah said nothing as her body pulsed in pain.

The second figured sent the first a last warning glance then disappeared from the room.

It was nearing sundown when they guys turned the whole house upside down. It looked worse than when they first found it, their frustrations getting the better of them and they ended up throwing things all over the place.

"Fuck! A whole day of searching and nothing!" Embry growled out.

Jake surveyed the house again, seeing the huge mess, but he paid it no mind. There had to be a clue somewhere, they just haven't found it yet. "Sometimes we have to look at the bigger picture. Maybe there is somewhere we haven't looked."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Really? Look around you, Jake. The place is a disaster. We've searched everywhere and found nothing. We're no closer to finding Leah than we've ever been." He said loudly in frustration and dwindling hope. The more time passed without finding something or Leah, the more his hope dwindled.

"Let's go to the Cullens now!" Seth barked out with the bag of garbage in his hands. "We could be over there getting some answers instead of wasting all of our fucking time looking for nothing."

Jake growled in warning, but remained quiet. Seth had a point, but something told him whatever they would find, would be the clue to everything. Before he could say anything, there was a huge pain in his chest from the alpha-mate bond and he almost doubled over. He struggled to catch his breath.

The guys' eyes all widened in fear. Quil was the first to move and he quickly made his way over to Jake. "Cuz what's wrong?"

Jake couldn't speak, but he knew it was Leah. She was in pain and he could feel it.

Quil kept him upright. "Jake…"

Jake waved him off. "I'm fine…It's the bond. It's throbbing like crazy and that means Leah is in trouble.

While he was trying to catch his breath and with Quil helping him, the others winced, but continued searching to distract themselves from the thought of their Alpah Female being hurt.

"Sam…Help me pull out the couch." Jared said.

The couch is almost pulled out into a bed when something small clinked to the ground.

**AN: Yeah I know…Why did I end it there? Lol! Cause it's so much fun to leave cliff-hangers. And I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to get something out before I leave on my vacation tomorrow. So you won't be seeing any updates for a while. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. There were some clues in it, but they were very subtle. Maybe you guys caught on, maybe you didn't. Either way, it'll be fun hearing your thoughts so don't forget to review ****J**


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